


Walkabout

by KS_Claw



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Family, Gen, Healing, Mentions of genocide, Self-Discovery, Space road trip! Yay!, Stockholm Syndrome, Violence, mentions of mpreg, mentions of noncon/rape
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-18
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2017-12-15 09:53:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/848164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KS_Claw/pseuds/KS_Claw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Breeding Doe. Pitch Black is no longer a captive of Bunnymund, but while he has recovered physically, there is still a lot of damage on a mental level. As a way to help him recover, Pitch’s oldest son Badru has taken him on a journey known as a Walkabout.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1 - 6 years later

**Author's Note:**

> Might as well say this at once: This story is gonna be interesting o3o also, huge thanks to Missdoodle/Esperage for being a wonderful beta reader. Go to her tumblr page and give her snuggles

He remembered a time when the stars used to sing. It had been a beautiful song that was soothing like a lullaby, with unheard words that warmed your soul.

Now, the stars were silent.

_And we all know why that is._  Pitch thought to himself as he looked out of the window where he was seated. A small meteor flew past the Lamadary Tower, as it went through space, and Pitch watched it as it for a moment seemed to circle within the Tower’s field of gravity, before it sped off once more.

The tower itself was quiet. According to the clocks, it was supposed to be the middle of the night, and so its other occupants were naturally asleep. Pitch however was unable to sleep.

_It feels so strange_ , Pitch thought, to know that he, for the first time in a long time, was heading towards what could be considered home. There was a time where he had thought of Earth as just another speck of dirt in the universe, a possible world to conquer… and then as a prison. 

But now… It was home. And he had someone waiting for him, someone who _missed_ him.

Funny how things turned out.

The Boogeyman sighed, one hand idly playing with a small charm around his neck. It was a round coin of tin with flowers engraved in it, each with their own meaning, a gift from one of his children who was now waiting for him.

_She must be grown now,_ he thought to himself. _I wonder if she’s lonely, or if perhaps she’s found a companion? There are plenty of animal spirits. Or perhaps even a human?_ It wasn’t entirely impossible.

Whatever the case, he hoped she was happy.

So many things had happened in the past six years, it was almost difficult to keep track of it. Or it would be to most people anyway, and Pitch was certainly not in that category.

Feeling restless, he got up from his seat by the window, and went over to one of the shelves that had a few blank journals. He picked up one of those, along with a quill and a bottle of ink and returned to his seat by the window where he settled down comfortably, before he opened up the journal. He took his time to think, brushing the tip of the quill thoughtfully against his bottom lip, before he finally dipped the tip in the ink, and then began to write.

—-

_When you have lived for as long as I have, the sense of time passing can be very different. It depends on yourself, along with your current state of mind, be it emotionally or physically._

_It has been six years, since I started out on this journey with Badru. Almost fifteen since-_

—-

Pitch paused in his writing and sat stock still for a moment, though he was careful not to let the ink drip on the page. He sat like that for a long moment, before he drew in a deep breath, and continued.

—-

_It often feels as if I was caught in a strange, and very unpleasant dream. I say a dream, rather than a nightmare, because the latter would have indicated that I felt fear or even apprehension. I never did though, for one reason or the other. I remember brief moments of anger, and at times a heated rush of lust, though that could have something to do with the circumstances._

_There are times where I feel guilt for what became of me, though I have been informed that it is completely natural. And when I take the time to consider the facts, that is true. And yet, if I am to recall the events which lead me to such a fate, perhaps I am to blame._

_I am guilty of many crimes. The death of the Constellations, the genocide of the Pookan race, and my near success at engulfing the world in fear and obliterating the Guardians of Childhood. There are always repercussions for such actions, and it was time I faced them._

_I sometimes dream of what happened. Of being held down, taken against my will; how pathetic I was—_

_No. Not pathetic. Nor weak, nor foolish, nor any other word that might suggest so. I can say that now with confidence of a sort, though I would possibly have denied a few years ago, that I was not in my own right mind._

_I was abducted, I was drugged, and I was violated. And in time it took very little to force my compliance. It is very possible that if my captor had been allowed to keep me a few more years, I would have been reduced to nothing but his willing-_

—-

Pitch grimaced as an involuntary shiver made its way up his spine, and he ground his teeth hard. Damnation, the thought alone of that word felt like someone lashed a whip against his mind. The Nightmare King looked down at the page with a frown, and then huffed in frustration.

_Useless_. He thought bitterly. In a fit of irritation, he flipped to a new page before he began to write something else.

—-

_There are good days, and there are bad days. My good days speak for themselves. I am active, and I help with various chores; cooking, cleaning, maintenance, tending to the greenhouse. Sometimes Badru and I will spar, and through that train him to adapt to his shadow powers. He has truly begun to master them, I am pleased to say._

_Most bad days are easy. I feel exhausted for no reason at all, and don’t want to get out of bed. I have no appetite, and will refuse anyone’s company._

_When it was just Badru and I, his own actions would depend on just how bad I felt. Sometimes we could manage at least a bit of civil conversation, but other times he would leave me alone unless he felt that I had gone without food or company for too long. And at those times, we were both fine with just being near one another, sitting in quiet._

_Now that we are more than just the two of us, it has become a bit harder to find solitude in those moments. There are times where the library is my only solace on what has become a chaotic journey. But I have no regrets. This journey has taught me many things, though sometimes, at a price._

_I feel that recording these events will benefit me in some way. There are times where my thoughts still feel out of order, and writing them down is all I can do to make sense of them. If anything, it is a means by which to pass the time as we make our way back to Earth._

_The first two years bear the worst of the haze. I was rather uncooperative, as I saw no use in the journey. But Badru, the dear, stubborn boy that he is, kept shoving and pushing. He still does so even now, though I have learned to better behave myself._

_Nevertheless, let me proceed._

_It was the beginning of the third year of our journey, this so-called ‘walkabout’…_


	2. Chapter 2 - Message home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Badru explores and comes across something interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is unbeta-ed

Sunrise on this planet reminded Badru of Earth, or at least he thought so as he regarded the horizon from his position on the tall rocky outcropping. The sky was a wide variety of red and purple colors, and there was that chill in the air that was slowly vanishing as the sun rose, telling the Pooka how much warmer it would be later in the day. Badru huffed out a sigh, a misty cloud of his breath bursting forth before vanishing into what remained of the night.  
He tensed at sudden, straightening up and looking around, his long ears twitching and turning as he narrowed his eyes. He could sense that there was someone or something keeping an eye on him, but he could not pinpoint where exactly it was. It felt as if it was all around him, and yet focused at a specific point...  
  
And then suddenly, the earth disappeared under him as he was swallowed by the shadows. He tried to yelp as he flailed in the darkness, but the sound was swallowed by the shadows and he kicked wildly, his heart hammering madly in his chest as he...  
  
 _No, don't panic!_ He thought harshly, forcing himself to calm down. He then curled up for a moment, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing until it slowed down.  
  
 _Don't fight the fear,_ a small voice in his mind told him. _Run with it._ So he did.  
  
With a hard kick, he set off, running through the dark, forcing himself to think about some of his surroundings, such as the area the Lamadary Tower was in. The terrain was bare and rocky, and there had been a few large rocks with funny shapes...  
  
And then he jumped out of the shadows, appearing at the foot of the tower, several miles from the outcropping he had been seated on earlier. By now, the sun had come up a bit higher, though that could just be the angle that made it look like that.  
  
"Not bad." A familiar voice sounded from seemingly out of nowhere. "It only took you thirty minutes this time to find your way out of the shadows."  
  
Badru sat up straight and looked around until he caught sight of the owner of the voice. Pitch Black was sitting in the windowsill in the lower levels of the Lamadary Tower, a large book in his lap which he was reading. At any other point, his robes would have camouflaged him perfectly, but in the way he was sitting now, his robes made him look like a blot of black ink against the white stone of the tower. If it helped Badru find him easily, who was to say that it wasn't the case for other life forms?  
  
 _'At least today is a good day.'_ Badru thought to himself, if Pitch's calm demeanor was anything to go by. "Anything happen while I was gone?" He asked out loud.  
  
"Nothing here in the wasteland, and there hasn't been much activity in the jungle area either." Pitch replied, his attention more focused on the book. “But then I haven't really looked for anything.”  
  
The Pooka just nodded in thought. “I'm going inside. It's been a while since we sent a message home, so I'm thinking of doing just that.”  
  
“A week is not 'a while.'” Pitch said with a snort, glancing up. “But go on, I doubt anyone at home would mind.” He smirked a bit. “Especially one Jack Frost.”  
  
Badru twitched his ears at that, avoiding the others look. “Yes, well... he's been very helpful with keeping an eye on things that are happening, and such...” He said a bit awkwardly. Pitch on his part just shrugged and waved the other off, returning his attention to the book.  
  
“Go on, wouldn't want him to think you'd forgotten him or something.” He teased. Badru on his part just hurried off inside.  
  
\-----  
  
In the middle of the Lamadary Tower was the large room that functioned as both a library and partly as a sort of laboratory. But it also housed the important object that was the communication orb, that Badru and Pitch had been given before their journey.  
  
You didn't have to be a wizard yourself to use it, though Pitch's own talents for sorcery had been helpful with certain things, when it was necessary. The magic itself was pretty simple, making it work like a telephone: You spoke to the orb, telling it you wished to communicate with anyone who had its twin, and the orb held by the recipient would inform them that there was an attempt at communication.  
  
And of course, there were other methods, if there wasn't anyone around to speak to, as Badru soon found out when the orb continued to flash, without any sign of there being anyone to respond.  
  
 _'Leave a message after the tone,'_ he thought with a huff, but decided to do just that. It wouldn't be the same, but the Guardians had their own things to tend to, and to want them to just stay vigil by the orb would be selfish.  
  
“Hello everyone, this is Badru speaking. It is the second day we are on this particular planet, and we don't know yet if there are any signs of life. Neither of us have been looking yet, but I intend to do so when I'm done here.”  
  
He fell silent for a bit, and couldn't help a slight sigh. It was always so much easier when there was someone who was responding, someone who was asking questions, be it about himself (“how are you, what's your day been like?”) or about the planet or area in space they were in (“what do the stars look like from there? What kind of plants are there?”). Badru shook his head, and then continued to speak, his tone getting slightly more scholarly, as if he was reciting a report. But then it always felt like that, when no one else was responding.  
  
“We are both well, or physically so anyway.” He eventually finished, “today has so far been a good day for Pitch. Granted, I don't think he slept, but then he doesn't need much sleep at all. One of the perks, as Sandy said once, to being an immortal I suppose. Your body doesn't have the same needs.” Badru frowned, looking around hesitantly before continuing with the next bit. “On other parts... there hasn't been much progress.” He sighed. “It's been over two years, starting on the third, and while we have certainly circled around the subject, we haven't talked about what is basically the elephant in the room.” He fell silent, frowning to himself.  
  
“I'll just have to be patient. One of these days, there will be some kind of breakthrough. I know there will be.” With that, he ended the one-sided conversation, sitting back with a slight huff.  
  
In the time since he and Pitch had gone out on this journey, he only had someone else to talk to when he sent a message home. He couldn't help but feel a bit put off whenever no one answered.  
  
And alright, maybe he was sulking a bit, because Jack had not been around to answer for one reason or another. He always had so many stories to share, and Badru always missed the sound of his voice afterward.  
  
Not only that, he thought with a sigh. His homesickness always got worse after he'd spoken with the orb. And the intensity always varied depending on whether someone was there to talk to or not,. Mostly, it reminded him of how it was just him and Pitch. And sometimes... sometimes, that made him feel even more lonely.  
  
\-----  
  
Badru eventually decided to get rid of some of his frustrations by going exploring, and at the same time practicing with some of his shadow powers. With the sun being pretty high up however, the only real shadow to go by was the one from the Lamadary tower, at least outside.  
  
“Are you sure you'll be alright?” The Pooka asked, “you don't mind if I head out?”  
  
“As long as you are careful, and don't exhaust yourself.” Pitch said wearily, as he got down from the windowsill he had been seated on. “I think I'll just go inside, for the rest of the day. I feel tired all of a sudden.”  
  
Badru frowned, but just nodded. “I'll try not to be away for too long. Perhaps I'll find some kind of fruit in the jungle area you said there was.”  
  
“Fruit that might be poisonous,” Pitch warned ominously, before he went inside. The young Pooka sighed to himself at that. Well, it had started as a good day, but some days soured quickly. And all one could do was wait them out.  
  
With that thought in mind, he dove into the shadows, easily allowing the cool darkness to simply wash over him, before kicking off in a random direction. Wherever he went, it would give him something else to think about.  
  
He emerged from what looked like the mouth of a cave and out into what was the jungle. Badru paused and took a moment to take in the sights of the massive trees, along with the pleasant scent of plants, bark and damp earth. Somewhere nearby, there was the sound of running water, and there was a sweet smell like honey wafting through the air.  
  
There was something else, however. A distant, high pitched sound, and when Badru sat up and listened closely, he could determine that it was either some kind of animal in distress, or it was a child crying. They were scared and they were in trouble. Badru set off, moving carefully through the jungle as he did so. It wouldn't do if it turned out to be some kind of trap.  
  
The sound came from high up in a tree, and as Badru got closer, he frowned as he listened, now able to determine that it was indeed someone crying.  
  
“Hello?” He called out. “Is someone there?” Immediately, the crying ceased, though it was only for a few moments before there was a response.  
  
“ _[Hello?]_ ”  
  
Badru froze, sitting up straight. Had he heard that right?  
  
“ _[Hello!]_ ” He called again, using the same language, now looking up into the tree. “ _[Is anyone up there?]_ ”  
  
“ _[Y-Yes!]_ ” The voice called back, before hitching on a sob. “[I'm- I'm stuck!]”  
  
“ _[It's alright. I'll come and get you.]_ ” Badru called, and began to climb up in the tree. There was a confused noise from above him, as if the owner didn't know what to think of that.  
  
“ _[But I don't know you.]_ ” Badru simply chuckled at that.  
  
“ _[My name is Badru. What's yours?]_ ” He found a sturdy branch and set off and grabbed another branch, moving steadily upward.  
The voice hiccuped a sob. “ _[Hralvey.]_ ”  
  
Badru twitched an ear at the unusual name. “ _[Well Hrrralvey,]_ ” he said, being careful to pronounce the name as right as possible (though he couldn't help rolling on the 'r' a bit), “ _[I'm almost there, alright? Just keep talking to me. Tell me a bit about yourself. Like, why are you up in this tree?]_ ”  
  
“ _[The- the others, Turney and Jounta and the others, they said I couldn't.]_ ” The young voice sniffles. “ _[Said I couldn't play with them unless I could climb a tree. But they left!]_ ”  
  
 _Ahh yes, one of the oldest bullying tricks in the book_ , Badru thought as he shook his head. “ _[Well, now you can tell them you've been up in a tree.]_ ” He said, as he pushed a final set of branches aside, before he gave the owner of the voice a friendly smile. “ _[But if I were you, I'd look for new friends.]_ ”  
  
The Pooka-kit was too upset to be surprised. He just stared at Badru with large wet eyes, and sniffled, keeping one tiny arm wrapped firmly around a branch while he dried his tears with the other.  
  
“ _[Would you like me to help you get down from here?]_ ” Badru asked him gently, and Hralvey just nodded.  
  
Carefully, the larger pooka gently picked up the kit, admitting to himself that he was surprised at the immediate trust he had gotten from the kit. Then again, he hadn't acted threatening in any way, which always helped.  
  
Hralvey clung to him all the way down, hiding his face in Badru's chest fur until they were very well on solid ground.  
  
“There we go,” Badru said as he gently set the kit down. “That's much bet-”  
  
 _ **CRACK!!** _ Something hard and very painful hit him over the back of his head. The kit screamed in startled surprise as Badru fell to the ground.  
  
The last thing he saw were a pair of slim hind legs covered in brown-ish red fur... and then nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Esperage, aka [Missdoodle](http://missdoodle.tumblr.com), has up until now been my wonderful Beta-reader for my fanfics and that. But now she’s starting at Ringling, and judging from her curriculum, she’s gonna be really busy.
> 
> I don’t want to clog up her schedule with all kinds of work, so I’m looking for a new Beta. If anyone is interested, or they know someone who could be, send me an ask on my tumblr (ksclaw, askladypitchiner, jack-the-black or badrublack), or a message over my email: kasoclaw(at)gmail.com. If you got a Skype, send me a username, and we can meet up and figure something out <3


	3. Chapter 3: Pookas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interesting introductions are made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s a remark about Lapine in this chapter. Lapine and Pookan are sort of the same language, but still different. Lapine is more animalistic, based on sounds and sometimes body language. I made small notes to it in Breeding Doe (such as Bunny making chittering noises) but that's about it.
> 
> This chapter is unbetaed for the moment.

_I remember in a distant past how a great part of the Constellations had a faint, yet quite wellknown disdain for the Pooka and their brotherhood. It was what was known as a ‘public secret’, something that everyone knew, but that no one talked about openly. The Pooka and their holier-than-thou brotherhood knew, of course. They seemed to know everything, and it birthed more than one unpleasant rumor about them._

I know there was a time where I was weak enough to respect them. I will not deny that they were fine warriors, but that was about all I cared about at the time. I had my priorities and snooty chocolate-makers were of no importance.

Perhaps if they had been, I would have been more thorough when I fought against them later.

And yet they had a secret of their own, one that Badru would find out later. And if Bunnymund had been aware of it, it is possible he would have been more cautious with some of his actions.

——

It was the dull, steady throbbing of his aching head that slowly made Badru wake up, along with the uncomfortable feeling of his paws being tied up with ropes. The only thing that kept him from groaning was the sound of voices arguing, one belonging to Hralvey, while the other had to belong to whoever had attacked him.

It was another Pooka, a female as far as he could tell, whose body was covered in maple-red fur (not brownish-red like he’d first thought), while her markings were white. She had a short staff strapped to her back which was probably what Badru had been knocked out with. She was now also pulling Badru along on a makeshift stretcher made of vines and a pair of branches.

“ _[I still can’t believe you hit him, Foxfire!]_ ” Hralvey said in Pookan, sounding very frustrated. “ _[Especially since he helped me.]_ ”

“ _[And I can’t believe you would climb a tree, get stuck, and then let a random stranger try to take you!]_ ” The female said sharply, impatiently tugging the stretcher with her.

“ _[He was **HELPING** me!]_ ” Hralvey shouted irritably. Badru stayed carefully still, though he began to try the strength of his ropes, hoping the two Pookas would be too occupied by their argument to notice him.

“ _[Helping you indeed!]_ ” Foxfire shot back, with a finality in her tone. “ _[What if he planned to abduct you, to turn you into a fearling?]_ ” Her voice was harsh, but it had a tone to it that told Badru she was seriously worried.

“ _[Oh **COME ON!** ]_” Hralvey exclaimed with the exasperation of someone who’d heard this kind of warning before, “ _[there is no such thing as fearlings!]_ ” This was followed by a loud yelp as the older Pooka grabbed him by the ear.

“ _[Don’t say that! Don’t **EVER** say that!!]_ ” She exclaimed furiously. “ _[It’s when you say that you don’t believe in them, that they will come and take you away!]_ ”

Badru had considered gnawing over the ropes, but then paused when he thought of something. Breaking free was easy, and if he could take her by surprise, then he could probably handle Foxfire as well… but what would that gain him?

“ _[Well why are we taking him back home, if you’re so scared of him?]_ ” Hralvey asked.

“ _[Pooka kits who need help with climbing trees, do not get to claim that others are afraid!]_ ” Foxfire retorted almost acidly. Badru rolled his eyes, but remained silent. He decided to wait things out and see what was going to happen, because he might never get an opportunity like this again. Even as they passed under a the roots under an enormous tree, that briefly reminded him of the Redwoods at home, where the shadow was deep and dark, he did nothing despite how he could have used the shadows to break free. It would only have fueled the female’s suspicions about him being a Fearling.

The rest of the journey went on in silence, with Hralvey clearly sulking, and Foxfire making no other comments, at least not until they suddenly stopped, having suddenly reached their destination.

“ _[You are in **SO** much trouble.]_ " Foxfire scoffed before she tapped her foot and they dropped down into a tunnel. Badru bit back a slight oof, letting out a fake, pained groan instead, as if to indicate he was waking up. The femake pooka huffed and put down the stretcher, before she leaned over Badru, her eyes narrowing before she used her staff to poke him in the chest, probably so she was certain she had his attention.

“ _[Listen here, stranger. You are my prisoner, and since you are awake now, you can walk the rest of the way. It’s not far, so even if you have a concussion, you should be able to handle it.]_ " She poked him in the chest again, earning an annoyed grunt from the other pooka. " _[Are we clear?]_ ”

“ _[Yes.]_ " Badru muttered, then watched as she easily tugged on a part of the ropes that had kept him tied to the stretcher, freeing him and then stepping back before poking him with the staff yet again.

Badru slowly rolled over to get on his feet, before getting up. He tried to resist the urge to grab the staff and smack Foxfire with it, as she kept poking him, while she muttered under her breath how they could have been home by now. Hralvey was the only one showing any remote concern, frowning with worry as he watched Badru move slowly.

“ _[I think you hurt him really badly, sis. He doesn’t look so good.]_ ” He said quietly. Foxfire made a scoffing noise in response, but Badru did notice that she poked him less, as they moved along down the tunnel.

They eventually arrived at the mouth of the tunnel. Foxfire muttered something irritably about the lack of guards, before she gave Badru a sharp poke, urging him to go through.

If the Warren was supposed to impress Badru… well, he could safely say that it wasn’t the case.

For one thing, it looked very much like the Warren at home, with large plains of grass and assorted plants spread all over, while near what could be described as the cave walls, there were a series of carved rock croppings, showing a set of holes, which with no doubt were entrances to burrows. There were Egg Sentinels wandering around, though curiously there were other shapes as well, from ball-like figures, to pointy triangles. Each had their purpose, Badru figured, though the question was just which one?

“ _[Well there you are, Foxfire. Didya find Hralvey?]_ ” An older voice sounded, and a male Pooka jumped down from somewhere. He was an older Pooka, judging from his greying fur, with some of it being bristly around his muzzle like a beard. He was wearing what looked like a large overcoat, and he was carrying a set of bolas over his shoulders. He smiled when he looked at Hralvey, and then blinked at the sight of Badru.

“ _[And who is this?]_ ”

“ _[An intruder, Lapis.]_ ” Foxfire said harshly. “ _[He was trying to make off with Hralvey! Luckily, I caught him just in time before he could do so.]_ ”

“ _[For the last time…]_ ” Hralvey complained, “ _[he was trying to **HELP** me!]_ ” He turned to Lapis, scowling in frustration. “ _[Foxfire is being dumb enough to think that he’s a **Fearling!** ]_”

Lapis snorted a bit. “ _[A Fearling, eh? That is certainly a very serious accusation.]_ ” He gave Badru a thorough top-to-bottom look. “[Don’t look much like a Fearling t’ me.]”

“ _[We don’t **know** that!]_ ” Foxfire exclaimed furiously. “ _[Just get the Elders, Lapis! It’ll give you something better to do, than just chewing sweetclover all day!]_ ”

“ _[Alright, alright…]_ ” the other responded, completely undisturbed by how Foxfire looked ready to have a furious fit on the spot. “ _[No need to get your whiskers in a tangle. I won’t be long.]_ ” With that, he jumped up on top of a nearby ball-like sentinel, and patted on the side with his paw, chattering a series of encouraging words to it, before the Sentinel set off.

“ _[Now we wait, Fearling. Then you’ll see what happens to intruders who think they can just steal our kits.]_ ” Foxfire said, crossing her arms with a satisfied smirk.

Badru said nothing. He glanced at Hralvey who gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes, before he plopped down on the ground in an obvious sulk. When Foxfire noticed this, she scoffed.

“ _[Don’t be a bratty kit, Hralvey. I’m just doing what’s best for you.]_ ”

“ _[No, you’re being **stupid.** ]_” Hralvey retorted, and then he refused to say anything else, turning around so his back was towards his sister.

It didn’t take long for there to be a response for what was going on. A couple of other Pookas had gathered nearby and were watching curiously, as a small group emerged not long after from a set of burrows nearby. Three of them, with one of them being Lapis, came riding on stone sentinels, with the largest being in the form of an egg. The rider was a very large and burly example of a Pooka, who had dark brown fur. One eye was a shade of brown that almost came across as red, while the other was covered by a dark patch, and he carried a spear almost like a scepter.

He rode in the front, coming to an easy stop in front of the three Pookas, his expression neutral as he looked them all over.

“ _[What is all this, Foxfire?]_ ” He asked. “ _[Lapis said you had brought back a Fearling? All I see is your brother and a stranger.]_ ” Judging from his tone, he was very skeptical. How long had it been, Badru idly wondered, since they had been face to face with one? Judging from how Hralvey was acting, it had been a while.

Foxfire straightened up, giving a stiff bow. “ _[Chief Woundwart, Lapis would be correct. The stranger is the one who is a Fearling.]_ ” She straightened up, but kept her gaze lowered. “ _[My brother had gone to the surface world with two friends of his, and he had gotten stuck in a tree. The stranger climbed up after him, and would probably have taken him away if I had not gotten to him in time.]_ ”

“ _ **[STOP MAKING UP THINGS!]**_ ” Hralvey _shrieked_ in fury. “ _ **[BADRU DID NOT TRY TO TAKE ME!!]**_ ”

“ _[Be quiet, kit!]_ ” Foxfire hissed. “ _[You don’t know what you are saying!]_ ”

“ _[I know more than you!]_ ” The kit retorted angrily, before he looked to Woundwart. “ _[Turney and Jounta dared me to climb up in a tree, and left me! And I got so high up I was too scared to come down, but Badru heard me crying, and climbed up to help me down!]_ ” He scowled furiously at his sister. “ _[And then Foxfire hit him over the head, because she’s dumb enough to think that he’s a **Fearling!** ]_”

Woundwart looked very unimpressed with the whole thing. By now, the rest of the group had caught up, and an older, female Pooka hurried forward, before she picked up Hralvey and hugged him close, snuggling the life out of him.

“ _[Oh my little seedpod, are you alright? I heard Jounta and Turney talk about how they had left you in that tree, and I was so worried! I would have gone myself, if I didn’t know Foxfire had already gone after you!]_ ”

“ _[Mother…]_ ” Hralvey whined. “ _[Foxfire keeps saying I’m making up stories when I’m not! And she thinks Badru is a Fearling!]_ ”

“ _[Oh for Light’s sake…]_ ” Foxfire growled. “ _[What am I supposed to believe when a total random Pooka just shows up and grabs you?]_ ”

“ _[He didn’t **GRAB** me!]_ ” Hralvey shouted angrily, but was silenced when Woundwart rapped the end of his spear sharply against the side of the Sentinel he was riding.

“ _[Silence, the both of you! You are both behaving irrationally.]_ ” He said sternly, and both Hralvey and Foxfire shrunk under his hard gaze. The Pooka then looked towards the third Sentinel rider, who had been watching everything in silence.

“ _[What do you think, Viscum?]_ ”

The third rider, seated on a smaller, square-like Sentinel, responded by gently patting the side of his mount, and making it go closer to Badru. When Viscum came closer, Badru was able to see that he was clad in a large, moss-green coat, and he wore a set of square spectacles on the tip of his nose. He squinted his eyes at Badru, twitching his whiskers almost like a cat, before he let out an amused snort.

“ _[I think we need to start teaching the young ‘uns about how to spot a Fearling, because this young Pooka is no such thing.]_ ”

“ _[But he’s got black fur!]_ ” Foxfire exclaimed in clear protest. “[That’s not a natural color for Pookas!]” Finally, having lost a bit of his patience, Badru finally spoke up.

“ _[You don’t say!]_ ” He exclaimed with fake cheerfulness, “ _[And all this time, I thought I was polkadotted!]_ ”

This earned him a burst of laughter from Viscum and Lapis, while Woundwart simply rolled his eyes a bit. Foxfire’s cheeks colored a bit, and she scowled at Badru, but before she could say anything else, the Chief Pooka knocked on the side of his Sentinel again to get their attention.

“ _[Perhaps we should start from the beginning, young one.]_ ” He told Badru, while Viscum helpfully untied his ropes. “ _[What is your name, and where do you come from? And furthermore, why are you here?]_ ”

Badru drew in a deep breath, straightening up a bit.

“ _[My name is Badru, Chief Woundwart. I come from a small planet in a galaxy far from here. As for why, I am on a Walkabout.]_ ”

Woundwart nodded in thought, before he leaned forward. “ _[Well then, Badru of a galaxy far from here… I hope you will forgive me this next question. You see, for the longest time, our Warren has believed itself to be the only one left of its kind. What Warren are you from, and who are your parents, if you do not mind me asking?]_ ”

“ _[My dam… ]_ " Badru said quietly, lowering his gaze as he spoke, allowing his voice to come off as a touch vulnerable. “ _[Is one of the reasons for my Walkabout.]_ ” He heard a small, sympathetic noise coming from Hralvey’s mother, who seemed to make a guess about things. Good, let them assume things for now, he thought, as he lifted his gaze to look up at Woundwart once more. “ _[My Sire however, is alive and well. His name is E. Aster Bunnymund.]_ ”

That brought an interesting reaction. Woundwarts ears straightened up, while his whiskers seemed to fluff out, while Lapis made a startled noise, his own whiskers twitching rapidly. Viscum gave a curious noise of his own, while there was an audible gasp from Hralvey’s mother.

“ _[You are Aster’s boy? Oh my goodness, I thought there was something familiar about you…]_ ” She breathed. And then she reached over and cuffed Foxfire over her neck, chittering something in rapid lapine to her. Foxfire looked too startled to argue back at her and just shrunk under the scolding.

“ _[Indeed,]_ ” Woundwart said on his part, raising a brow, while ignoring the scolding. “ _[When last I saw Bunnymund, he was only interested in creating confections and collecting eggs, as well as his little Terra Forming project, along with being a Guardian of the Last Light. He never struck me as someone who would ever become a father.]_ ” He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes.

“ _[If you do not mind me saying so, sir, it has been a long time.]_ ” Badru said hesitantly. “ _[And most people, or Pooka in this case, often change.]_ ” Woundwart simply snorted, straightening up once more on his Sentinel.

“ _[That is true. No doubt there are a lot of questions you will be asked, now that we know who your Sire is. But for now, you can most certainly consider yourself a special guest. Particularly for Viscum, I would say.]_ ”

Badru raised a brow curiously at that, before he looked to the older Pooka. Much to his surprise, he saw that Viscum had a strange gleam in his eye, as if he had just been told the most wonderful news in his life.

“ _[Very much so, Chief Woundwart;]_ ” the older Pooka managed in a slightly rough voice, before he reached out and gently clasped a hand onto Badru’s shoulder, giving it a hearty squeeze.

“ _[After all… I never thought, that I would ever get the chance to meet a grandson of mine.]_ ”

—-

It wasn’t often that Pitch used the dream sand, that had been given to him by the Sandman. Even when he did though, he was careful not to use too much, especially because it was inevitable that sooner or later, the dreams would be corrupted. It wasn’t even on purpose, it just happened when Pitch let his guard down as he slept.

This time was no exception, as Pitch jerked awake with a hoarse gasp, looking around with wide eyes, before brushing his hands down himself, to quietly assure that he was awake and that he was in the Lamadary tower and nowhere near Santoff Claussen.

As oddly kind as the Guardians had been, while Pitch had been recovering from having been Bunnymund’s prisoner, the weakened Nightmare King still had faint, unpleasant memories and dreams attached to it.

One of them was a more disturbing one, that had plagued him recently, but he hadn’t told Badru about it. Mostly because he didn’t want to worry the boy, and even though they had their own kind of bond, there were some things that Pitch felt he couldn’t tell Badru.

_The dream always happened in Santoff Claussen, in the room where Pitch had woken up after the Sandman had brought him there. He was heavy with pregnancy, and he could feel something moving inside of him._

Unfortunately, he somehow knew that whatever was inside him was not Pooka kits.

Whatever it was, it spoke to him, whispered in words he couldn’t understand, while pressing what felt like icy, jagged claws against his insides. It caused him to shiver violently, and when he tried to take a breath, he suddenly found himself coughing up… not blood, but some kind of black, tarry liquid.

He remembered this liquid, even if his dreaming mind wouldn’t let him remember its proper name. But it had been a long time since he had encountered it in the waking world.

Sometimes the dreams were over quickly. As soon as he began coughing, Pitch would usually start awake the way he had now. But sometimes it would draw out, all in a slow and painful manner. The worst so far, had the creatures inside of him getting tired of Pitch basically being their jailor, and going crazy, clawing and biting and scratching.

He remembered throwing his head back with a cry, though an inner voice had urged him to look down, to properly see what was going on, even as he felt his body get ripped open, and whatever was inside of him began to crawl out…

Pitch had woken up before he’d had a chance to look and see what was tearing out of him, and had then promptly rolled over before retching violently over the edge of the bed. It been the night after they had landed on this planet, so he had blamed it on what Badru had come to call ‘landing sickness’. The young Pooka had looked like he had believed him, but Pitch somehow doubted it. Badru was smarter than one believed when you first looked at him, and he had a way of never letting you know what he really thought.

It made Pitch wary, yet at the same time also feel strangely proud of him. Mostly because it was basically that kind of behavior that eventually had… well, saved him from an eternity as Bunnymund’s Breeding Doe.

The thought alone of that was enough to make him shudder, and shake away the final mental cobwebs, before he glowered at the tiny, black nightmare that had been born from his dreams. It whinnied, before it let out an objecting cry at being grabbed by Pitch, who scowled at it as he sat on the edge of the bed and opened the drawer in the nightstand.

There were two bags there. One contained the golden dream sand that he had been gifted by Sanderson, woven in a golden fabric and with the Guardian seal on it. Next to it lay a black bag, sealed shut with a black string. Pitch picked it up, before he looked at the Nightmare. With a grunt and a squeeze of his hand, the creature dissolved into a mass of sand that began to twirl lazily around him, before Pitch opened the bag and commanded the sand down into it. Said bag was almost half full. It was odd, given how little of the dream sand Pitch took at a time, but he didn’t bother thinking about it. With an annoyed huff, he tightened the strings, ignoring the faint echo of whinnying cries that died off like a soft breeze, before he simply dropped the bag into the drawer and slammed it shut.

He sat there on the edge of the bed for a while, before he drew in a deep, exhausted sigh. He felt more tired than before he had gone to sleep, but he decided to get up anyway. Perhaps Badru had returned by now. It would be nice with some company, that he could actually hold an intelligent conversation with. Not that the Nightmares weren’t intelligent, but it was tiresome to have to mentally translate their body language and whinnies, especially when Pitch was as weak as he was now.

Looking out a window revealed that it was sunset. And when Pitch went down through the Lamadary tower, he also found that Badru had not yet returned. An uncomfortable feeling of worry settled in the lower pit of his stomach, though Pitch did his best to try and ignore it. Badru was fully grown now, he was strong and he was a good fighter, as had been proven by the sparring sessions that he and Pitch sometimes spent time on.

Still… It wouldn’t hurt to be on the safe side. One positive thing about this whole trip, was the fact that Pitch at least could use his shadows properly again, and not just simply for travel. It was also a good way to help him sense where Badru might be at. It was easy enough to send one of his shadows out, with the command to find a young, adult male Pooka. The shadow would know what to look for.

Or at least Pitch thought so, until the shadow returned, twirling around his feet as if it was embarrassed. It had not been able to find what its master was searching for.

Pitch felt a cold chill run down his back, but he stubbornly swallowed it down, before he as calmly as possible asked the shadow: “What do you mean you can’t find him?”

The shadow explained vaguely how it had searched for the nearest source that was similar to what its master was looking for… But it had not been the right Pooka. It had continued its search, and found several more Pooka… Just not Badru.

Pitch could only give the twirling shadow a blank stare in disbelief.

“… That can’t be right.” He muttered. “It’s _impossible!_ ” There couldn’t be any more Pooka, aside from Bunnymund and the kits. He had destroyed them all in the final wars against the Constellations, had turned several Pooka kits into Fearlings…

Once upon a time, the memory would have made him feel pleased about his accomplishments. Now, he just felt sick to his gut with worry… because even though the Pooka had done theirs to make the Golden Age what it had become a long time ago, they could also be incredibly ruthless when they wanted to. He remembered that much at least.

“Show me where these Pooka are.” He finally said to the shadow.


	4. Chapter 4: Theoretical In Absentia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Badru witnesses what has become a tradition among these Pookas. And both he and Pitch overhears an awful truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, this chapter fought me x_X I sincerely apologize for the wait, and can only hope that the writing will get a bit easier from here.
> 
> Huuuge thank you to both Missdoodle and onlysnakescanlove for helping me figure out how to tackle this chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> There's a few references to book 4 in this chapter, and there might be more in the next one as well.

" _[It all began, as you can imagine, long ago in the Golden Age.]_ " Viscum began, as he poured up some tea for the two of them. To Badru, it smelled pleasantly of clover of some kind. " _[We Pooka have always been fast breeders, with our young being considered fully mature within a span of a few years. How old are you Badru?]_ "  
  
" _[Nearly thirteen, sir.]_ "  
  
" _[None of that, now. Call me Viscum. Or Mistletoe. Heh, one time I never imagined myself wanting to be called Grandpa Mistletoe. Anyway, where was I?]_ "  
  
" _[The Golden Age?]_ " The other prompted politely, while sipping his tea.  
  
" _[Yes yes, the Golden Age... Well, I don't know what your father told you, but it was not as 'golden' as you would like.]_ "  
  
" _[Because of the fearlings?]_ "  
  
" _[That's what they would like you to believe. Victors writing history and all that. Truth of the matter, my boy, is that the Golden Age in a few ways was tarnished, for lack of a better word. I don't know how much your father learned, really. He was far too invested in his own projects, and I had the clan to run. You see, his oldest brother, Salix, was going to take over, and I was busy teaching him all the clan lore and responsibility. Your father, being the youngest brother, only had his brotherhood of the light responsibilities, his chocolate making and his terra shaping project.]_ "  
  
" _[He's told me stories of how the planet he came to was egg-shaped, but he had to shape it into a sphere.]_ " Badru agreed. To that, Viscum simply nodded, twitching his ears in thought.  
  
" _[Ah yes, I do think he sent me letters about that. He was so very pleased with himself, I recall.]_ " The older Pooka sighed in dismay, " _[and yet all I thought of at the time, was that I wished he would do more, than just dally around with just his egg shapes and so on. I even wrote as much to him. I was even considering an arranged marriage for him at the time, but never really focused much on it.]_ " He shook his head, " _[I was more focused on politics than on family, and that was despite how I was ready to retire myself. But we were focused on our biggest project yet, so I never really went further with any other plans. Has your father told you about the Shadow Prison?]_ "  
  
" _[He only ever told us most of the basics,]" Badru said quietly. "[Such as the story about... Well...]_ "  
  
" _[Pitch Black?]_ " The other asked mildly. When Badru nodded, the older Pooka shook his head " _[Our greatest achievement and failure indeed.]_ " He muttered. The younger Pooka perked his ears up at that. What an odd thing to say.  
  
" _[What do you mean?]_ " He asked. Viscum looked like he was debating on what to respond with, when they both heard a quick thumping from outside the burrow. A brown Pooka in a sort of uniform was right outside, and he saluted Viscum.  
  
" _[Lord Viscum, the trial is beginning soon. General Woundwart thought you might like to know, so you and your guest can get proper seats.]_ "  
  
" _[Ah yes, thank you.]_ " Viscum said with a nod. Once the other had left however, he gave an irritable sigh.  
  
" _[Bother it all, I had forgotten about the trial. I wouldn't be surprised if it's being pulled out early, simply because of your arrival, my boy.]_ " When Badru blinked in confusion, the older Pooka just shook his head, while waving over the square-shaped sentinel, before he climbed up on it.  
  
" _[Don't worry, it's a yearly thing, and I gather that Woundwart, or some of the others, might want to show off. I'll explain when we get there; Bring the tea, would you? We'll need some refreshments.]_ "  
  
Badru simply nodded, and went to prepare the tea. He decided not to mention how the other had not finished telling his original story. The talk about the prison had distracted them, and now this 'trial', whatever it was. Judging from Viscums attitude, it was not something he really wanted to attend, but he had to for some reason.  
  
Perhaps they would have a chance to talk about everything else later. But somehow, Badru had a feeling that it would be under very different circumstances.  
  
\--------------  
  
If there was one thing you could count on when it came to the Pooka, then it was their ability to adapt. It was one of the things that had made them such formidable warriors back in the day, next to their 'special chocolates' as well as their ability to harvest light.  
  
The Warren that the shadow lead Pitch to, was huge. Even though he had seen very little of it, Pitch somehow had the feeling, that it was even bigger than Bunnymund's Warren.  
  
The thought made an unwilling shiver go down his spine for no reason, and Pitch grimaced, a part of him confused. Ridiculous... as long as he stayed in the shadows, he would be fine.  
  
 _And,_ a part of him reminded him, _this is not the same Warren. You won't find Bunnymund here, and he won't-_ He shook his head at the thought. He had to find Badru and then he would get out of here. Easy.  
  
Or that was what he thought, until he moved around a corner, and found a very large gathering of the residents of the Warren.  
  
 _Oh **hell** that's a lot of Pookas!_ he quickly found a hiding spot behind some very large rocks, where the shadows were at their darkest. For some reason, Pitch could feel his heart hammering a mile a minute, and he could visibly feel himself trembling as he tried to look over the large, gathering crowd of Pookas.  
  
 _Calm down, you fool!_ He scolded himself. _Just look for Badru, make sure he is alright and then get out of here!_  
  
But where was Badru? Were these Pooka gathering because of him? Had he gotten into trouble with them, or-  
  
Pitch gave a quiet sigh of relief when he spotted Badru in the crowd, sitting next to an older, oddly familiar-looking Pooka. He and Badru were talking about something, it seemed, and looked like they were getting along nicely.  
  
 _Good, he's got someone who's looking out for him._ Pitch thought, before he swallowed nervously. _I need to get out of here..._  
  
If only his heart would stop hammering in his chest. It was beating so wildly, it almost felt hard to breathe, and Pitch was very glad that he had not been discovered, because as it was right now, he doubted he would be able to put up a fight, or make an escape.  
  
He needed to get out of this place, preferably back into the shadows. But all he felt capable of, was just lying in hiding behind these rocks, his hands now pressed so hard over his eyes that spots were starting to dance behind them.  
  
And yet, a small part of him knew why he was feeling this way.  
  
Pooka. There were so many Pooka. All this time, they had been here, hiding away in this place, and doing whatever Pooka in hiding did. Survive probably, among other things... _And yet,_ a small part of Pitch hissed in disgust, _you are only here because one of their kind took you by force, all in order to recreate a people that he had believed to be the last one of..._  
  
 _'Cause that is what you are..._ the former Guardians voice rumbled in his mind. _A Breeding Doe. For me to keep, an' to claim, to fuck and to breed. An' fer me to restore my people, whether you like it or not._  
  
Pitch moved his hands, so that they clenched over his mouth to keep himself from making a choked noise; or simply from screaming, he wasn't sure which. This whole place was enough to remind him of everything that had happened in what until recently had begun to only feel like a bad dream. And it was enough to make him feel physically ill.  
  
He could distantly hear the voice of a Pooka speaking, the voice older and with a solid authority, and yet somehow familiar. It was very similar, and yet also different from Bunnymund's, and for the moment, it was enough to distract him from the turmoil in his mind. He slowly forced himself to concentrate on that voice, to focus on the words, and he quietly thanked Badru for teaching him the language properly, so that he at least could understand what was being said.  
  
\------  
  
The first thing that Badru noticed, was the odd dummy that had been set up in a crudely made witness stand.  
  
It was obviously meant to be in the shape of a human, or something resembling it anyway. It was made of a combination of straw and clay, and wore a roughly stitched coat made of worn, blue fabric. A collar, fashioned from what looked like red and black feathers, was fastened around the 'face', which was a flat, clay surface with a rough, jagged-teeth face carved into its surface.  
  
Really, there was something so morbidly fascinating about this whole thing that Badru simply didn't know what to think, as Woundwart began to speak. You could tell from his tone, that it was more of a recital of an old speech he had gone over again and again, and everyone seemed to know about it. Viscum himself was mouthing some of the words, though Badru ignored him in favor of listening.  
  
“ _[In the beginning, there were the stars. And among these stars was The First Light, who created many creatures, some with fangs and claws, who ate meat, and others with swift feet and sharp ears who ate grass. Among these were the Pooka, and they managed to live side by side with the meat eaters for one reason or another, at least until there came the other Lights.]_ ”  
  
“ _[They saw what the first Light had done, and were jealous, and decided to create their own creatures. Not all of these creatures were meat eaters who liked the Pooka, and the First Light decided, that in order for the Pooka to survive, they would be fast breeders and have long lifespans. But only in order to help others, simply because all the Lights had one common enemy: The Pitch Black Dark between the stars.]_ ”  
  
Badru's ears perked up at that. That was a very curious way of putting it.  
  
“ _[This Darkness has always hated the Light,]_ ” Woundwart continued, “ _[and as the Lights created more creatures, the Dark grew even more hateful. But it knew that it stood no chance against just the Lights. Instead, it sought to corrupt the creatures the Lights had made, and turn them from the Light. Therefore, as one of its favorite children, the First Light also decided, that the Pooka should be able to harvest the Light itself, and that as a result, they would be able to do with this Light as they wished. In this case, to drive away the Darkness, and restore the peace that there was always meant to be.]_ ”  
  
 _This is sounding oddly familiar..._  
  
“ _[The Light spoke to the first of Pookas, and told him: Be swift and be wise. If you must fight, you fight, but if you must run, you run.]_ ” Woundwart continued. “ _[And if you must hide, hide. For while you are long lived, you are not invulnerable and you are not immortal.]_ ”  
  
Realization hit him almost at once, and Badru resisted the urge to hide his face in his paws and groan. _Please don't tell me Father used this, to somehow inspire a human to write Watership Down..._  
  
“ _[And so the Pooka did as they were told, and were taught how to harvest the Light. And as the other Lights created more creatures, these creatures soon came together and formed tribes, communities, and so on, and eventually became the first Constellations.]_ ”  
  
Well... it was close. Replace a few names, change a few details, and there you had it. Viscum nudged him lightly, but when Badru looked, the older Pooka just rolled his eyes and shook his head. Badru drooped his ears lightly, but still did his to pay attention to Woundwart, who in the meantime had been talking about how the Pooka worked with the Constellations, and how they eventually had formed the Brotherhood of Light.  
  
“ _[And with that out of the way...]_ ” Woundwart then said with a heavy sigh, sounding exasperated for some reason. “ _[I give the word to you, Master Dioica.]_ ”  
  
Dioica was another male, a creamy colored buck, who looked much younger than Woundwart, and with all the air of someone who had never been on a battlefield, but who still felt he had a say about things, while being in charge. He gave Woundwart a dignified nod, before he spoke up.  
  
“ _[As we all know, the Pooka did their best to work with the Constellations. We shared some of our knowledge, but only shared the Light with those who we found worthy of it, simply because... well, we knew better!]_ ”  
  
“ _[This doesn't mean everything went well, of course. There are those among the Pooka who even now have our share of disagreements, both amongst ourselves, as well as with the rest of the Constellations. Many of them saw our people as arrogant, and even too proud, perhaps even dangerous. I know that some of you disagree with this, especially when it comes to the downfall of our species.]”_ He grimaced slightly at that. “ _[And we all know when and how it began, of course. With the Brotherhood Council, and its leader, Lord Axiom.]_ ” In response to his words, a soft wave of hisses ran through the crowd. Badru frowned, looking to Viscum, who gave a tired looking shrug. Whatever there was to learn about this "Lord Axiom", was something that would be told about eventually.  
  
“ _[And we all know where it ended. With Pitch Black.]_ ” Dioica added. “ _[Since the Nightmare King obviously is not present, we can only use this to represent him.]_ ” He motioned towards the dummy, though his expression clearly told Badru, that it annoyed him greatly. “ _[This... this murderer, this complete **monster!** ]_" He paused, turning back to the gathering of Pookas with a thoughtful frown, " _[but was he indeed such a monster? That, Does and Bucks, is what we are here to talk about today. Welcome to the annual In Absentia Trial of the Nightmare King!]_ ” Around them, a light wave of polite applause was heard, though Badru could tell that it was from an audience who had seen this odd performance many times before, and were getting very bored with the constant repetition.  
  
“ _[And now, the real show begins.]_ ” Viscum muttered darkly, though more to himself than to Badru. “ _[Hopefully... I'm getting too old for this to be dragged out too much.]_ ”  
  
“ _[Lord Viscum, if you please!]_ ” Dioica called out, “ _[if you would be our first witness?]_ ”  
  
The older Pooka groaned, but lightly tapped the side of the square Sentinel he had been seated on. “ _[Very well, very well.]_ ” He sighed. “ _[Let's get this over with.]_ ”  
  
\---------------  
  
The mindscape of the Nightmare King was slowly getting better these days. Time away from what had basically been the damaging influence of Bunnymund, and the more patient and wise influence of Badru, had done their part in soothing the mental harm that had been caused. The two figures of Pitch Black and Kozmotis Pitchiner did not look as worn out as they had at one point, but there was still a long way to go, before they could even be considered close to fully recovered.  
  
And while both sides were as stubborn as you could get, they both knew that they wouldn't get anywhere by constantly fighting. So mostly, especially in recent times, they had simply slept, and only stirred if a few things happened “on the outside” to draw their attention, that seemed really important.  
  
The amount of golden butterflies was something that had kept changing over time as well, and sometimes there were so many, their glow lit up the slowly healing mindscape. The caged fearlings would hiss and snarl, but could do nothing, even as the butterflies settled directly on the cages. Neither of the occupants of the mindscape had any idea what had spurned their creation, but they didn't really mind it either.  
  
At this moment however, Kozmotis was strangely agitated for a change. He was sitting straight up, the chains loose around him, and his counterpart had the strange feeling, that if he were to attempt standing up, he would succeed, even though the chains would still keep him trapped to the other throne.  
  
“Look, I know we're both surprised that there are still Pooka around, but **_what the bloody hell_** is wrong with you?” Pitch demanded to know.  
  
“Quiet,” the Golden General muttered. “I think... I think we need to hear this.”  
  
Hear what? Pitch was about to ask, but the sound of an old Pooka's voice seemed to cut through the darkness. There was something strangely familiar about it, but Pitch couldn't place where he had heard it before, but something about it made parts of him itch in an uncomfortable way. Kozmotis didn't seem to pay much attention to that, as he was more focused on the words being spoken.  
  
Above them, the butterflies began to slowly gather in a circle.  
  
\----------  
  
" _[I was one of the three leaders of the Pookan council.]_ " Viscum began, and Master Dioica nodded. “ _[Who were the other members?]_ ” He asked.  
  
“ _[There was Lord Axiom, who was the High Priest of the Brotherhood.]_ ” The other Pooka started, “ _[then there was Lady Mirabella, who took care of business and trade with the Constellations. My own duties involved delegating some of the troops, that were involved with the Golden Army. Through this, I came to know one of their leaders on a slightly more personal level.]_ "  
  
" _[And this person was the Golden General?]_ " Dioica asked. Viscum gave a confirming nod.  
  
" _[Indeed. Back then, as we all know, he was a very different person. Very serious with his duties, but when you got to know him, you naturally learned more about him. He was charming, charismatic and wise despite being so young compared to a Pooka. Along with it, he was fiercely loyal to the Tsar, and...]_ " At this Viscum sighed, " _[a loving and devoted father.]_ "  
  
" _[And as we know, this is why he was seen as a threat to the Pookan brotherhood.]_ " Dioica stated, and Badru frowned at that. A threat? He thought, but didn't get to think more on it, as Viscum nodded slowly.  
  
“ _[Lord Axiom was under the impression, that the general had almost too great an influence on the Tsar, and some of his advisors. The Tsar was very young, having only been on the throne for a few years, before the Shadow War truly began. We of the Pookan council felt that he did not quite have... How shall we say, the proper makings of a leader yet. Kozmotis Pitchiner was a different case, however, and the Tsar allowed him to aid in a few specific decisions, specifically when it came to some of the more important decisions considering military strategies, along with delegations of the army in general, and exploration of newer territories. While I felt that some of the decisions were well thought out, Lord Axiom felt that they were rather provoking, especially when it affected Pookas in some way.]_ ”  
  
" _[Did Lady Mirabella find these decisions provoking as well?]_ "  
  
" _[Not in the beginning. At least not until the Dream Pirates began to get more daring, and started to attack the trading routes. She complained because she felt Lord Pitchiner had some frightful manners, when he had to directly order her to allow her ships to take longer and safer routes.]_ " Viscum shook his head. " _[And Axiom saw it as clear sign of disrespect. He used it as an incentive, to get her vote, when it came to...to the final decision.]_ " Badru frowned, noticing how the older Pook's tone had changed. It sounded oddly vulnerable, showing how affected he had been by this "decision".  
  
Dioica nodded, looking sympathetic. " _[And then what happened?]_ " He asked. Viscum drew in a deep breath and let it out in a long, deep sigh.  
  
" _[We held a meeting, and Lord Axiom told of his opinion. Of how we needed to get the General out of the way, or at least find a way to neutralize him, so he would have no further influence on the Tsar... I was one of very few, who felt that Axiom was being ridiculous, so I abstained from voting,]_ " he said quietly. " _[But I agreed to... To pull back some of the troops. And in particular a few of those that had been stationed around the assorted Guard houses in the Orion Constellation.]_ "  
  
 _Oh no..._  
  
Badru knew a part of this story. Granted, an abridged version, that his sire had told him when he was but a kit, and then...  
  
As if he was reading Badru's thoughts, the old Pooka looked towards him, and suddenly looked much older than he had a moment ago.  
  
" _[With our sharp hearing and our First Light weapons, Pooka make for excellent guards. But we can make mistakes... Such as falling asleep on our post. Or being absent for one reason or another. And Dream Pirates, the Dark itself, can be so frightfully quick.]_ "  
  
Viscum drew a deep heavy breath.  
  
" _[I always assumed that they would simply capture them. We did not anticipate their lack of self-control, but then again, there was always such a vast difference in that way, between Dream Pirates and Nightmare Men...]_ "  
  
\------------  
  
Pitch lay frozen in his hiding place, his eyes wide and unseeing, while he instinctively kept his hands clasped tight over his mouth. A part of him was still listening, but only barely. His mind was a smothering turmoil, and he felt as if he might be sick. He wanted nothing more than to get up and away, his weaker humanity for once agreeing with the weakened Fearlings in his body, on how this was not worth remembering, how he needed to get away...  
  
 _No..._ A small part of his mind begged. _Please no..._ The implications alone, the mere assumptions...  
  
 _I don't want to hear it. Hearing it will make it true, and the truth is the last thing we need right now! **I don't want to know, I don't want to hear..**_ **.**  
  
Pitch resisted the urge to move his hands to his ears in order to cover them. Because despite what he had just heard, he knew that there was more. He knew that he had to listen, and even if he didn't hear, he knew that Badru would, and that he would either tell him, or for the sake of his sanity, he would keep things to himself.  
  
And despite how he knew that Badru would mean well with it, he had to hear it.  
  
Besides, he was still too weak to go through the shadows. Just a little more, a small voice whispered, just until this old Pooka is done speaking...  
  
Somewhere seemingly far away, the voices continued speaking.  
  
\--------  
  
He couldn't know, Badru thought, as he listened to Viscums tale. Bunnymund couldn't possibly have known that his people had done something like this. If he did, would he still have done what he did?  
  
 _Who says he wouldn't?_ A small, wicked voice whispered in Badru's mind. The young Pooka ignored it, and returned his attention to Viscum.  
  
" _[...Grief can do awful things to a man, and General Pitchiner was no exception.]_ " Viscum said, sounding tired. " _[He had been a hard working man before, but after the Orion incident, he seemed to become... well, possessed for lack of a better word. He became determined to capture or kill any Shadow he came across. While he still kept up with his duties at court, he spent less time with the Tsar and his advisers, preferring to spend his time on hunting down the Shadows in person. Eventually, he stopped making an appearance in court altogether. And some of the Pooka who fully supported Lord Axiom began to spread rumors, all with the faintest grain of truth, in order to undermine General Pitchiners authority.]_ "  
  
" _[And when Lord Axiom found the time was right, the Shadow Prison was propositioned?]_ " Dioica asked.  
  
“ _[Yes. He had everything for it ready. All he needed was the approval of the Tsar as well as the Constellation Council.]_ ”  
  
“ _[Thank you, Lord Viscum. I have no further questions.]_ ” The other replied, and waited patiently until the older Pooka had returned to his seat. Then he turned towards the crowd.  
  
“ _[Does and Bucks, you have now witnessed the first part of the trial. We will be taking a break now, before we have our next witness called to the stand. Thank you for your patience.]_ ” The gathered Pooka began to murmur among themselves, though as far as Badru could tell, it was mostly about how things had been told, in comparison to how things had been in previous years.  
  
“ _[Old Viscum's going on his usual song and dance...]_ ” A Doe who was seated somewhere behind Badru muttered to a  Buck.  
  
“ _[Most of it anyway. At least he's not doing the whole 'woe is me' gig this time.]_ ” The Buck agreed with a scoff.  
  
“ _[Well he wouldn't want to look bad in front of his grandson now, would he?]_ ” A third Pooka interjected. “ _[Not every day you find out you got heirs, when all the rest of them have been wiped out.]_ ”  
  
Badru was sitting very still, his expression very carefully neutral, as Viscum came back over to settle beside him. His muscles were all incredibly tense however, and the older Pooka frowned when he noticed.    
  
“ _[Are you alright, dear boy?]_ ” He asked quietly.  
  
“ _[I'm fine. It's just... Not what I expected to hear.]_ ” Badru replied, without looking at him. But then, he thought cynically, how often did you find out that practically your whole race had been part of a conspiracy?  
  
“ _[I expect that we will hear eventually, but what happened to Lord Axiom? What was he hoping to achieve when it came to the prison?]_ ”  
  
Viscum was silent for a bit, before he let out a soft huff.  
  
“ _[Axiom was a fool... Opinions on some of his actions vary, of course. Some see him as a hero. Some as a martyr, but they are thankfully very few. And a third see him as having gotten what he deserved.]_ ”  
  
“ _[And which one are you?]_ ” Badru asked, turning his head to look at the other. Viscum did not meet his gaze.  
  
“ _[If it is alright with you, then I would prefer to talk about it later.]_ ” He said quietly. “ _[A lot of terrible things happened back then. And I do not like to talk about all of them in the open.]_ ”  
  
“ _[Very well.]_ ” Badru said. “ _[We can talk about other things until then.]_ ” With that, he offered to pour up some of the tea (still warm, as the pot they had brought had the same workings as a thermos, despite being made of clay).  
  
“ _[There is one thing I would like to know.]_ ” Viscum said thoughtfully, as he accepted the mug of tea, that he was offered.  
  
“ _[Hmm?]_ ”  
  
“ _[How did Aster meet your Dam?]_ ”  
  
 _… Crap._  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is unbetaed for now, but will be fixed as soon as possible.


	5. Chapter 5: Trial interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pitch is still in hiding, while Badru and Woundwart have a talk. And meanwhile, Foxfire makes a discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT LIIIIIIIVES!!! Oh great googlymoogly, I am so so sorry for the massive delay! School took off with me and nailed me down and refused to let me work on this story for the longest time. Then a plotbunny got me unpinned so I finally got a proper flow on this story again. Let's hope that continues! Hope you guys enjoy this late chapter!

It was at this part, that Pitch had to stop writing. Mostly because he found that his hands were trembling too much for him to write in a way that would make the words just a bit decipherable. With a shudder, he put the journal and ink away, before he got up and began to walk around, deciding that he might as well get rid of some nervous energy while he was at it.   


Outside the door, he could hear the faint sound of others moving around, and for a moment, he grimaced as he felt a part of his shadows writhe angrily, reacting to his memories. He shook his head and went back to the window, where he settled once more. Once he was certain that he could write properly, he began once again.

_-There are certain things I have never forgotten, despite the many years I have been connected with the Fearlings. Sometimes I have cursed some of these few memories, if they were reminders of my humanity. And other times I have found them to be a blessing, if only because they were less like reminders of my time as the Golden General, and more of the skills of fight and strategy I possessed._

_And then there are others... I often suspect that the Fearlings allowed me to keep some of them, simply because it entertains them to know, that these were the beginnings of the path that lead me to become what I am now. Especially because the memories are always in very vivid detail... And the revelations that I heard at the Pooka's In Absentia Trial did of course not help matters. What few shadows there were left, still had enough power to return the memories to me in the very moment that the elderly Viscum admitted to them._

_I can still see it all before me now...-_

\-------------

It hurt to breathe. His mind felt like it was in a complete turmoil, and the more he thought about the old Pooka's words, the worse it felt. Pitch felt as if someone had seized him around his throat, and was choking him painfully, as old memories began to flash before his mind's eye.

_I have to- I have to get out of here..._ Pitch thought, reaching out to the nearest surface. But no... it was too light. Somehow, the light in the Warren functioned like sunlight, and like any other sun, it moved with time. As a result, it had shifted so that he was now directly exposed and vulnerable. Should any of the Pooka find him here like this...

His hand, still covering his mouth, tightened hard. No... he didn't want to find out what might happen.

_Mine to fuck and breed-_

_**No!** No, not that..._ He hissed angrily to himself. _Anything but that! I'm not anyone's anything! I am **ME** , I am my own!_

And yet it was so easy to see it, to picture Bunnymund himself towering over him, and grinning coldly, his green eyes narrowed in triumph.

_Yer mine, Doe._

Somewhere, Pitch barely registered how other voices were speaking, voices belonging to Pooka, speaking in Pookan and sometimes Lapine...

_Ya know the words!_ Bunnymund seemed to snarl, _don't pretend ya don't! Badru didn't teach ya, he just helped ya remember. **So remember!**_

Pitch curled up on himself, sobbing miserably. _I don't want to remember..._ he wanted to say. But still a part of him forced him to listen, listen to voices that spoke in a language that was supposed to be dead, by a race that was supposed to only have one survivor.

\------------------------

  
In the mindscape of Pitch Black, the two different parts of the weakened Nightmare King were having their own reactions to what they had heard.

The Golden General was seated on his throne, clutching so hard at the armrests, that his knuckles were completely bone-white. His head was lowered, as he breathed heavily, and Pitch had no doubt whatsoever, that if he had not been chained, Kozmotis Pitchiner would have been storming off in a rampage.

And for once, in a very, very long time, the Boogeyman would not have blamed him.

But even then, a rampage was not something they could afford. The mindscape was damaged enough as it was, and for the moment, the darker side of the mind could only see one solution.

“You reap what you sow indeed.” He chuckled mirthlessly.

The other jerked as if he had been slapped, and lifted his head to look at Pitch. His eyes were wide and almost unseeing, before the words seemed to sink in and the Golden General focused on his counterpart.

“What?”

Pitch smirked coldly. “That's what you told me a while back. _'You reap what you sow.'_ And from the sounds of it, you were just as much of a plaything as I was!”

Kozmotis drew in a deep breath, his fists clenching so hard, that blood welled up where nails pressed against flesh. He opened his mouth to speak-

“And don't you _dare_ tell me it's different!” Pitch snarled, startling the other. “Because you know damn well it's not!”

For a moment, the other looked ready to say something... but then he slumped, falling back in his own seat, the chains rattling heavily as he did so.

“You're right. It's not.” He whispered.

Pitch raised his head at that, still smirking as he seemed to listen for something. “And from the sounds of it, we are about to learn more.”

Kozmotis said nothing.

\-------------------------------------------

Badru frowned, looking at Viscum with a strangely dry, neutral expression. On the inside, however, he could feel a strange heat in his chest, spreading from there and up to his face and ears and down through his body. While he at first had felt baffled by the question, there was another part that felt outraged. And a small part of him was grateful for the fact, that his temper was not as irate as his father's at that moment.

“ _[I have just been informed of something rather important about the Pookan race,]_ ” he said slowly. “ _[Something that you were a significant part of. Something, that to most Pooka, or other races for that matter, would be considered quite a shocking revelation. And you ask me about how my parents met!?]_ ”

_How dare you act so nonchalant about something so horrible?_ The enraged part of Badru thought furiously. _And especially when you showed such remorse before. Was it all an act?_

The elder Pooka blinked for a moment, twitching his ears. “ _[Well...]_ ” He said slowly, “ _[I suppose it does come as a bit of a surprise-]_ ”

“ _[A **bit**?]_ ” Badru replied sharply, ignoring how it drew looks from some of the other surrounding Pooka. “ _[Sir. Mistletoe. Whatever I am supposed to call you... If you will excuse me, I need to leave for a moment.]_ ” He turned away, moving swiftly through the crowd as he did so, ignoring the curious and surprised murmurs from the surrounding Pooka. No one tried to stop him, and most of them moved out of his way, most of them looking confused, though a few familiar ones (such as the one called Lapis) gave him strange, sympathizing looks.

Badru didn't care. He needed to get away before he finally gave in to temptation and decked someone!

It wasn't even until he was properly out of range of the crowd, that he felt how hot his ears were from the inner rage he had been withholding. The young Pooka scowled to himself, digging his fingers into the grass below him, and resisting the temptation to just rip the grass up by its roots. It would be brutish, not to mention disrespectful, he reminded himself.

_Of all the things to ask,_ a part of him thought in rage. Even if the older Pooka couldn't really know about things...

_But still!_ Another part of Badru argued, _what right does he have to ask such things? And so shortly after revealing his role in the conspiracy..._

Badru covered his face with his paws, drawing in a deep breath, and held it for a moment before letting it out slowly.

_You shouldn't be surprised._ He thought bitterly. Considering Bunnymund...

No. No, that was unfair. The whole affair with Bunnymund was something else entirely. And wouldn't _that_  be an awful revelation to the old Pooka?

_'My dear grandfather, you requested information of my sire, your son, and my dam met. Well you see, my sire is a **rapist!'**_

Oh yes, that would go wonderfully.

He sighed at that, pulling his hands away and looking at them with a frown. For a moment, all he could think about was his sire. How the male had raised him and his siblings on stories about the Pookan race, of their accomplishments, of the Brotherhood... All the words from someone, who had not been very old himself when the Fearling Wars happened.

Bunnymund had only known bits and pieces himself. He had been focused on his own things, on shaping Earth and its landmasses, on his eggs and on his chocolates.

And then Pitch Black had come back into his life. First as the Nightmare King, intent on covering the world in darkness, making Bunnymund decide on becoming a Guardian. And then that Easter, where Pitch had put everything into being believed in once more, and despite his efforts had been defeated again...

And then Bunnymund had decided he was going to have the Pookan race reborn, one way or the other. And all the while not knowing how his own people had betrayed the man that Pitch Black had been once, how the Pookans had been responsible for the despair that Kozmotis Pitchiner had suffered...

Cause and effect, Badru wondered. What a wicked circle of life I am born from.

“ _[I can tell that we were not what you expected.]_ ” A voice sounded behind him at sudden. “ _[Am I correct?]_ ”

Badru turned quickly, and frowned when he found that the owner of the voice was Woundwart, who regarded him calmly. Badru wondered if he had been that lost in thought, or if the general was just that quiet in order to have come that close.

“ _[To be fair, sir, I never had any real expectations, seeing as I didn't know there were any other Pooka at all, aside from my father and siblings.]_ ” He finally said.

Woundwart gave an amused snort, shaking his head.

“ _[Fair enough, lad.]_ ” He said, “ _[and I can understand if you got upset about Viscum's... well, lack of tact. After all, for as long as we've been here, we haven't really had any outsiders since- well, since we first made this planet our new home, with what was left of the Pookan race.]_ ” Woundwart looked back at the trial area, where the other Pooka were gathered. Some had gathered in groups, and some of the kits were playing around the straw dummy that was supposed to be Pitch Black. He grimaced, his ears laying down slightly in clear discomfort. Then he looked back, and motioned for Badru to walk with him. Badru raised a brow, but did not object, and soon the two of them were on their way, wandering near a cliff wall of the massive Warren.

“ _[Truth be told,]_ ” Woundwart admitted, after a few minutes of silence, “ _[I never really liked that In absentia trial. It's a ridiculous farce.]_ ”

Badru twitched an ear at that, curious at the general's tone. “ _[Then why have it at all?]_ ”

“ _[Someone will always want something to blame,]_ ” Woundwart huffed. “ _[Even if certain circumstances were their own mistake. You heard what happened... the elder Pookas conspired against a man who had never done anything but his duty towards the Constellations. And they hate to admit, that they ended up suffering the consequences. More than anything, it's to keep them satisfied.]_ ” He snorted. “ _[It's also why the trial has its two different verdicts. It gives the older Pooka something to bicker about, when they have nothing else to do.]_ ”

The younger Pooka frowned, but he said nothing. The more he heard about this, the more relate-able his own situation felt, yet at the same time not quite.

_Would these Pooka have stooped to the same level that Bunnymund did, out of sheer desperation?_ He thought.

Out loud, he asked: “ _[Did you... have a part in what happened? I mean-]_ ” he cut himself off awkwardly. “ _[My apologies, that came off rather rude.]_ ”

“ _[Do you mean if I was a part of the conspiracy?]_ ” Woundwart replied calmly. “ _[I can easily, and with a clear conscience confess... that I did not.]_ ” He looked over towards where the crowd was, frowning. “ _[I was but a young Sub-Lieutenant at the time, and I had no part of the council that made the decision. And after the Orion Massacre, I began to work my way up the ranks. But even if I had been informed about it, I would not have been a part of it. I knew Kozmotis Pitchiner... Served under him, before and after what happened... and what was done to him, as well as his loved ones, was cruel and unfair.]_ ” He grimaced harshly at that. “ _[And what the Pookan council did later does not help either.]_ ”

Badru frowned. “ _[What did they do?]_ ” He asked.

The older Pooka didn't meet his gaze. “ _[It's a part yet to be told in the trial, really. But I can tell, that you are not feeling much up for being part of that, even if simply as an audience...]_ ” He huffed a snort at that. “ _[I wonder if your sire would have had the temper for it. He got so restless when it came to activities that didn't involve eggs.]_ ”

“ _[My sire told me about it. The tragedy of the Pitchiners, I mean.]_ ” Badru said quietly. “ _[He found out about it from a Star Pilot, who had learned some of the story. And he told the story to my siblings and I later, when he felt we were old enough.]_ ”

“ _[He would of course, not have known about the conspiracy either.]_ ” Woundwart said. “ _[I remember your father, and you are, quite surprisingly, nothing like him.]_ ” For a moment, he paused in his step and gave Badru a hard, studying look, before he snorted slightly. “ _[Truth be told, he never struck me as someone who would settle down. He was always so... if you will pardon my opinion, stuffy! Came with being a member of the Brotherhood, I always thought. And when you're tasked to be guardian of The First Light...]_ ” He rolled his eyes at that. Badru couldn't help but smile a bit at that.

“ _[Perhaps in his younger years...]_ ” He said slowly, “ _[but, pardon me as I repeat myself, time and circumstances often change someone.]_ ”

“ _[That they do, lad.]_ ” Woundwart agreed with a nod.

A curious thought struck Badru at sudden. “ _[You are about as old as my father, are you not, sir?]_ ” He asked cautiously. And his assumption did not disappoint him, as Woundwart burst out laughing.

“ _[Clever lad!]_ ” He exclaimed, slapping himself on the thigh. “ _[Ah, stars... you're right, your father and I were about the same age. I joined the army, he joined the Brotherhood. How did you come to the right conclusion?]_ ”

“ _[Well... You did mention having been a recruit before the wars,]_ ” Badru confessed. “ _[But you are scarred and battle hardened.]_ ” He carefully motioned to Woundwart's eyepatch. “ _[That sort of thing often makes one appear older than they are.]_ ”

“ _[Hmm, very true.]_ ” The other chuckled softly. “ _[You are a bright one, Badru. I like that.]_ ” His smile soon disappeared however, and he sighed.

“ _[We could use someone like you among us... some fresh blood. But I can tell that you will not be staying. First impressions are important for that, and none of what we've done has left much of a good one.]_ ”

Badru slowly shook his head at that. “ _[It's part of it, I admit,]_ ” he said slowly, “ _[but as you know, I am also on a Walkabout. And... I have my own duties to return to at home. Duties that can not be fulfilled here.]_ ”

“ _[I understand.]_ ” Woundwart agreed, before giving Badru a half-hearted smile. “ _[Whatever your future plans are, I wish you luck in them.]_ ” At that moment, there was the sound of a horn, and the older Pooka sighed.

“ _[And it's back to the farce...]_ ” He said, before looking to Badru. “ _[You don't have to be there, if you don't wish to. I'm sure you've had enough awful revelations for a day.]_ ”

Badru shook his head. “ _[I will be fine sir. Besides, I did run out on Viscum, and I feel we still have a lot to talk about.]_ ” Aside from that, he thought, he had been rather rude to just take off like that, even if that had been preferable to outright punching someone.

Woundwart shrugged. “ _[It is entirely up to you.]_ ” He said, and with that they headed back towards the trial area.

\-------

Who did he think he was?

Foxfire scowled, as she made her way up the mountain path. She had been on her way for hours, starting from the tree, where her brother had gotten stuck and had followed what trail she could find from there. At the thought of Hralvey she scowled. Stupid kit... And stupid Badru as well! She would show them, she would find out where Badru came from, and she would expose him.

There had never been any black Pookas. Everybody knew that, and yet as soon as one showed up and turned out to be the grandson of one of the Elders, everyone was fawning over him.

A wicked Fearling trick. It had to be. They always tricked others in the stories. Foxfire narrowed her eyes, as she continued to move up the mountain path. Judging from the tracks she had found in that cave, he had to have come from this direction.

_And who knew?_ A small part of her thought. Perhaps he really was just another Pooka, and there was a second colony. They had never really made time to properly explore the whole planet, and better late than never, as her mother liked to say...

First Light, her mother was going to be angry when she found out why Foxfire had gone out, and skipped the stupid trial. Oh her oldest daughter may have had her Legacy ceremony, but that didn't mean she didn't still get treated like a kit now and then. The Doe grimaced when she thought of how her mother had behaved, acting all starry-eyed, because a new (“ _[and handsome at that!]_ ” Her mother had cooed) buck had showed up. Sweet clover, as if Foxfire didn't have more important things to think about. Not to mention that they held the trial every year anyway, so why-

There was a strange tower not far from where Foxfire finally made her way to the top of the cliff. She froze at first, convinced for a second that she was seeing things. But not even when she had blinked several times, or had rubbed her eyes more than once, did the sight of the tower go away.

“ _[Impossible...]_ ” She breathed, as she slowly moved closer, her eyes wide. As she came closer, her eyes scanned over the many signs and symbols that told her what the strange tower was, and who had created it. It certainly fit the description of all the stories she had been raised with, but it didn't answer the one question that now circulated in her mind:

What in the name of the Firstborn was a **Lamadary Tower** doing here?

In a small bag, hidden within a drawer somewhere in the tower, something stirred.  



	6. Chapter 6: questions and answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial continue, and a few more discoveries are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what? I have no excuse. Real life bit me hard in the butt, and gave me a major whopper of a writer's block for this story. It has literally taken me months to shake it off, before I finally got this far with this chapter. So I seriously hope it was worth the wait for you guys, and I am super sorry for the long wait!

“ _[Welcome back, Does and Bucks.]_ ” Master Dioica said to the crowd, just as Badru settled down next to Viscum. " _[You have all heard the story of what happened, as the first part of Lord Axiom’s plan. Of the fall of House Pitchiner, of the general falling out of favor with court… We will now continue with the In Absentia Trial of Pitch Black, starting with our next witness. Milady, if you please?]_ ”

A young doe came up to the witness stand, with a green shawl wrapped around her shoulders. On the shawl was embroidered a symbol, a white Mirabella blossom. Dioica gave a respectful bow to the young doe, helping her up in the seat, before stepping back.

“ _[Milady,]_ ” he started. “ _[You are related to the Lady Mirabella, yes?]_ ”

“ _[Yes.]_ ” The doe responded dutifully. “ _[My name is Malinae. Lady Mirabella is my grandmother, and I have been taking her place at the trial, since she has become too old to leave her burrow.]_ ”

“ _[And you know of the story, we trust?]_ ” Dioica asked.

“ _[I do. My grandmother has told it to my siblings and I many times.]_ ”

“ _[Then, my Lady Malinae, if you please;]_ ” The older buck said with a light bow, “ _[will you respond to our questions as truthfully as you can?]_ ”

“ _[I shall do my best, Master Dioica.]_ ” Malinae responded with a slow nod. Badru raised a brow, his ears twitching. He couldn’t help but think of how it would have been on Earth, of how it wouldn’t have worked like this among humans, or spirits. Well, perhaps spirits, but he couldn’t say for certain, not even with what had happened with Bunnymund.

But we are not among humans or spirits, he told himself sternly. And this is more of a theater play than an actual trial. Sooner or later, the original actors become too old for their original parts.

“ _[Your grandmother continued with Lord Axioms plan to bring down General Pitchiner?]_ ” Master Dioica asked on his part.

“ _[Yes sir,]_ ” Malinae replied. “ _[Lord Axiom instructed her to use her influence at court, and she and her ladies in waiting did so. They concentrated especially with the Tsarina and her ladies in waiting, since they knew some of the influence on the Tsar would also depend on the influence on his wife.]_ ” She shrugged a bit at that. “ _[I can not say for certain what some of the rumors were. Lady Mirabella’s ladies were given some of these assignments separately, and records of the exact words have been lost.]_ ”

“ _[What kind of rumors are we talking about?]_ ”

“ _[Some were second-hand from the General’s own, lesser faithful men, who spoke of how badly he was performing his duties.]_ ” She explained, “ _[others spoke of how he didn’t care for the safety of his men, and even had taken to drink before going into battle against any Dream Pirates they came across.]_ ”

“ _[And we can easily assume that whatever rumors were spread, they worked?]_ ” It was asked, which the doe nodded to.

“ _[Mostly on the more gossip, when it came to the ladies in waiting. Some of them, however, began to work against the words that were spread. They had great respect for the General, and didn’t wish to see him come to harm.]_ ” She sighed, grimacing as though ashamed. “ _[And for a time, it worked. But the rumors already spread began to have an effect, like a slow working poison. And with the General not being present at the Constellation Court, to fend for his own reputation… well, the Tsar was soon forced to make a decision.]_ ”

“ _[Did this decision include the Shadow Prison?]_ ”

“ _[Not at first. The Tsar was very fond of Lord Pitchiner, as both a friend and an ally, and he understood his grief. He hated seeing him hurt, and wanted to help him. Of course, when you don’t want to be helped, it makes things even harder.]_ ” She sighed at that, her ears drooping slightly. “ _[And then Lord Axiom stepped in, proposing the Shadow Prison.]_ ”

“ _[Lady Mirabella was present, was she not?]”_ Dioica asked with a raised brow.

“ _[She was. She always tells me, that Lord Axiom made a stunning figure in the Constellan Court that day.]_ ” Malinae said, her ears twitching slightly as though she was nervous or frustrated. “ _[In her words, he spoke as if his words were made with honey, and the rest of the Constellation Court practically drank in his words, as he spoke. The Tsar and everyone else were almost hypnotized by Lord Axiom’s words, even the Pooka who didn’t know what Lord Axiom had truly planned. To this day, Lady Mirabella always speaks about how Lord Axiom’s words were full of promises of what he called a golden future… and yet she always felt a premonition, as if there was a lurking dread behind his words.]_ ” Malinae frowned, looking away at that. “ _[And that is all she ever tells me. I do not know anything beyond that.]_ ”

“ _[Thank you, Lady Malinae.]_ ” Master Dioica responded kindly, “ _[you may step down.]_ ” The younger doe nodded a bit, before she stepped down from her seat and quickly disappeared back into the crowd.

Badru blinked when he felt a paw lightly brush his arm. When he looked, he saw it was Viscum who had touched him to get his attention, and when he twitched his ears to show that he was listening, the older buck leaned forward.

“ _[Lady Mirabella changed her stance on things after certain things occurred, such as the Orion Tragedy. But by then, it was too late to change anything.]_ ” He muttered quietly. Badru frowned lightly, but nodded.

” _[But not everyone shared those views, I assume.]_ ” He replied. ” _[Pooka are, if nothing else, quite stubborn.]_ ”

Viscum grimaced. ” _[There were some, but… things happened.]_ ”

Badru just nodded, looking back towards the stand where another older Pooka had been called up.

He would not be surprised if this Axiom had been behind whatever might have 'happened.' But it also fitted with Viscum's words from much earlier. The Golden Age had been tarnished under its golden surface, and the conspiracy had only been a small part that had torn it apart in the end.

For a moment, Badru remembered some of the conversations he'd had with Pitch, long before he had exposed Bunnymund and had freed his Dam. Pitch had always seemed strangely detached when it came to his memories of the Constellations. He hadn't really cared about the people, having slaughtered anyone who had been in his way.

Was that the part of him the Fearlings? Or what little that had remained of Kozmotis Pitchiner?

What would he think though, if he was here? Badru thought. Would he not care? Or would the fragments of him that had once been the Golden General respond to these revelations of treachery? And if so, how would he respond?  
Badru huffed quietly, looking thoughtfully towards the podium where the stuffed doll was at. It made him glad that Pitch was back at the tower, and hopefully asleep so he wouldn't be worried about Badru. Especially since Badru very much doubted that Pitch would have had a good reaction to any of the things he had been hearing at this 'trial.'

Sometimes, depending on the circumstances, ignorance was bliss.  
\-------

_I don’t want to remember. Please… Someone… I don’t want to remember…_

Pitch was curled up between the stones, the light of the Warren’s inner sun beating down on him. He couldn’t remember ever having felt this weakened, not even when he had been defeated by the Guardians that fateful Easter years ago.

_No more… I don’t want to remember anymore…_

His head felt like it was going to burst, and he clutched desperately at it, trying to think of something, anything that could make him forget what was going on.

Cold. Even with the heat of the light that worked as a sun in the Warren, he felt so incredibly cold.

With Bunnymund, he had always felt warm in one way or another. As he lay curled up between the rocks, he could so easily picture the Pooka, smirking at him in a mocking way.

 _'What's wrong, Doe? Can't handle hearing the truth of how much of a burden you've been?'_ He sneered. _'You should never have left the burrow at home.'_

Pitch gave a weak sob, curling up as tight as possible, trying to block out the others words by covering his ears. But it was hard to block out a voice that was in your head…

 _'I's no wonder that we could defeat ya those years ago, back on Earth.'_ Bunnymund chuckled. _'Not when you were this pathetic, even 'fore you opened those gates!'_

“Please...” Pitch whispered hoarsely, “I don't want to remember...”

Something soft and warm covered him at sudden, and he froze when a female voice murmured softly to him in Pooka. The voice sounded young, but with a tone to it that also spoke of experience with gently calming someone down, if they were in distress.

“ _[Shh… Everything is alright.]_ ” It murmured gently, “ _[I am not going to hurt you.]_ ” It kept speaking like that, murmuring in a low voice, and somehow drowning out Bunnymund's voice. Pitch found himself mentally clinging to that voice, though a faint part of him scoffed at his desperate need for seeking comfort.

 _'You can't run from this forever,'_ the voice seemed to scoff. _'Sooner or later, you will have to face everything.'_

Pitch covered his face, sobbing with dread at the thought, even as this spurned the newcomer to continue her gentle, soothing comfort. The stranger began to stroke the ground around him, though Pitch did not pay much attention to it. He just wanted to forget, he didn't want to remember, he just wanted…

 _'You don't know what you want.'_ Bunnymund's voice replied disdainfully, _'I knew what was best for you, and you know it!'_

“No…” Pitch sobbed, and the owner of the female voice crouched down over him, embracing him gently.

“ _[Shh...]_ ” The female voice hummed, her voice soft and warm, and somehow drowning out the voices in his head. “ _[You are going to be alright.]_ ” She continued humming, murmuring words in a mix of lapine and pookan, and Pitch let her guide him to his feet, clinging desperately to the shawl she had covered him with, and letting her guide him away from the rocks, and out of the sunlight.

So focused was he on the humming drowning out the voices, that he didn't pay attention to the female voice's owner, or where she was taking him. Not even when she after a while had him lie down on something warm and soft that smelled like herbs of some kind, a scent that was somehow familiar. The scent and the gentle humming overwhelmed his senses, but not in a forceful way, and soon made him drift off to sleep.  
\------

In the mindscape, the humming was heard as well. Pitch had straightened up, frowning at the unfamiliar sound, but both he and Kozmotis were soon feeling themselves becoming drowsy somehow, the golden butterflies that had been flying above them now settling around them to rest.

They did not sleep, as being a part of the mind made them aware at all times. But they did find themselves more… sedated would probably be the best word for it.

“...Pookan soothing song...” Kozmotis mumbled vaguely. “Been a while since I heard that...”

Pitch only gazed up vaguely at the cages above them, saying nothing. Inside of those cages, the fearlings had gone quiet as well, though like Kozmotis and Pitch, they were awake, even if simply quieted down for the moment.

He couldn't remember the last time their head had felt this calm.

\-------

The In Absentia trial had come to a point, where it was at its slowest. There were at least several Pooka, who had been a part of the conspiracy in several ways, and every year there was always someone who found an argument for why their part was considered the most important key part of all. Woundwart remembered how he had in the start had been tempted to just sort them out of the trial in general, seeing no point in them being there at all, but as the years passed, he had found that having heard the stories countless times, it allowed him to slip away from the trial and attend to some of the minor duties he had. It saved time, and no one was going to miss him, at least not until after the next intervention, where the final part of the trial was going to take place, along with the final judgment.

He couldn't help but think of young Badru at that point and shook his head with a small smile. Poor kit, he was in for a long haul, though he had seemed curious enough.

Woundwart hummed to himself, the thought of Badru bringing up another point on his mental to-do list. He really did need to find out how the young male had arrived here in the first place, if only for recording purposes. A small part of him wondered if it had been any sort of work by Bunnymund. He somehow doubted it though, considering that while Bunnymund had been quite intelligent, he had a tendency to be flighty with some projects, and staying close to others. Earth had been one of his more valuable projects, if the old letters that Viscum had kept were to be believed. Really, it was honestly a miracle that he would have found someone to settle down with in the first place.

Which brought up another question: Who was Badru's dam, and what kind of tragedy had brought the young male to go on a walkabout? Bunnymund's stiff nature might have been one, Pookans of the brotherhood of Light had always been completely stiff, and if something had happened to Badru's dam, and Bunnymund had proven unsympathetic, that kind of attitude could bring anyone to want to leave home.

Ah, Woundwart thought with a sigh, so many questions, and so few answers. He had seen Badru's reaction to questions about his dam earlier, when Viscum had asked him how his parents had met, and while it was clear the young Pooka had been upset, it had not been due to the question itself.

So, so many questions.

“ _[Lord Woundwart!]_ ” A voice called out, and Woundwart blinked, then frowned when he recognized the young female, Foxfire. A good warrior, but so very serious about her duties, he thought. Still, he straightened up and kept his expression calmly neutral as she came running. The young doe skidded to a halt before him, gasping for breath as she did so.

" _[At ease, young doe.]"_ Woundwart said calmly, " _[take your time and catch your breath. And then you can give me your report of what you have found.]_ " At the look the doe gave him, he quirked a small smile. " _[You are not with your family, and you smell like you have been on the surface. And you obviously found something that startled you quite a bit. Now then, what has happened?]_ "

Foxfire swallowed something, slowly regaining her breath. After a slight cough, and straightening up, she finally looked at Woundwart as professionally as possible.

" _[Lord Woundwart, sir. I went to the surface in order to patrol, and because I had doubts about the newcomer, sir.]_ "

 _'Of course you did,'_ Woundwart thought with an inward sigh. The Pookan Race had not survived this long, if it hadn't lived by its principles, though he wished that young bucks or does wouldn't take it so seriously. " _[And what did you learn on the surface?]_ " He asked out loud. Foxfire seemed to square her shoulders, as if preparing to fight or flee depending on Woundwart's reaction.

" _[There is a Lunar Lamadary ship on the surface, Lord Woundwart. It's towards the north east, in the mountain wastes.]_ "

Woundwart blinked slowly. Then he blinked again.

" _[... Have you told anyone else?]_ "

" _[No sir, I went to inform you as soon as I saw it, for I dared not move close in case there were any attackers.]_ "

Woundwart nodded, frowning. " _[Keep it to yourself for now. The last thing we need is a panic, especially with the trial going on. I will gather a patrol, and we will investigate matters at once.]_ "

Foxfire hesitated at that. " _[But- shouldn't we be preparing ourselves?]_ " she asked. " _[I mean, it's a Lamadary tower...]_ "

" _[What is important is not what an object is.]_ " Woundwart replied calmly, " _[what IS important, is if it is of any danger. Did you see a sign of anyone being there?]_ " Foxfire shook her head, looking distressed at the thought of having missed such an obvious detail. " _[Then that is what we need to find out first.]_ " Woundwart finished, before he set off to find any available warriors to bring along, preferably of the older generation.

Though he had a feeling when it came to this tower. A young Pooka, and a Lamadary Tower showing up? The coincidence was just a little too perfect. Though he doubted Foxfire had thought too much of that. Sometimes, those old propaganda lessons about the dangers of other some of the other Constellations, was just a little too intimidating. But perhaps this could be a learning experience for her, and a few others. He would have to wait and see.  
\-----------

Badru had at first wondered why the audience had begun to leave, when the next witness had been called to the stand. Not everyone left, of course, but they did not really pay attention. And after a while, he began to see why.

The next five witnesses that had been presented up until this point, were all rather repetitive.

Very, very repetitive.

Viscum had said nothing, but that was mostly because he seemed to have dozed off, when Badru turned to ask him if this was going to go on for much longer. As it turned out, he had only been dozing lightly, opening his eyes when Master Dioica announced the next witness by banging with a gavel on the podium. The older pooka yawned, squinting lightly before snorting softly and looking to Badru.

“ _[This is going to take a while, Badru. We have at least four hours before the next intermission.]_ ” He said with a slight huff, showing how he knew this from experience. “ _[And in that time, no one important will be there as a witness. I promise, you won’t be missing on anything important.]_ ”

" _[If you're certain...]_ " Badru replied, looking toward the witness stand.

" _[If you want to catch up, there is a transscript that is always written.]_ " Viscum explained, as he climbed up on his square sentinel, and lightly tapped on it. " _[I have one from last year. I think that one had Pitch Black marked as guilty.]_ " The older Pooka hummed in thought. " _[No telling what it might be this year...]_ "

Badru simply nodded in silence, walking next to the sentinel as they made their way towards the tunnels that would take them to Viscum’s home.

“ _[It’s strange…]_ ” Viscum then said. “ _[There is a lot about you that reminds me of Aster. But at the same time… Something is different.]”_

“[ _I have been told by others, that I resemble my sire in some ways,]_ ” Badru replied, before shrugging. “ _[Though I can’t say how. My brother Angus resembles him more.]_ ”

“ _[Oh, yes!]_ ” Viscum said, sounding surprised. “ _[I thought I had forgotten to ask you, if you had any siblings]._ ” He frowned, “ _[but I can guess they are not with you.]_ ”

“ _[No sir.}_ ” Badru confirmed; “ _[this was… something I had to do on my own.]”_

“ _[Hmmm…]_ ” The older Pooka hummed, twitching his ears a bit. “ _[… I have some pictures of the family that I managed to save. Perhaps, while we wait for the intermission, you could tell me about your siblings?]_ ”

“ _[I would like that.]_ ”

They were soon settled in the burrow once more, with Badru getting some fresh tea made, while Viscum went to look through his belongings to find the pictures. Viscum soon found was he was looking for, bringing a picture album with him to the table, while Badru set down a couple of clean cups for them to drink from, before pouring up the tea. Viscum nodded his thanks and began to page through the book, humming and muttering to himself, before he nodded, pointing at a page. “ _[Ah yes, here we are.]_ ”

Badru leaned over curiously to look at the picture, blinking. The picture showed a large gathering of Pooka, some without clothes, while others were in formal wear. It looked like some kind of celebration, with a baker’s dozen of kits gathered in front of the adults. Badru recognized Viscum sitting in the center, along with a doe, looking calm, but stern while the doe was smiling fondly down at the kits.

“ _[It was a family picnic. We had a lot of those, back when things were more peaceful.]_ ” Viscum sighed wistfully. “ _[It was one of Aster’s last outings before he went off to be initiated by the Brotherhood of Light.]_ ” He pointed out a young pooka, standing close to the smiling doe. Said Pooka was wearing a familiar green coat. “ _[His Dam was so proud of him.]_ ” Viscum said quietly. “ _[And so was I, for that matter, but I was never good at expressing myself in that manner. Some parents are like that, unfortunately.]_ ”

“ _[I recall you mentioning, that you mentioned an older brother to my sire?]”_ Badru asked, _“[who was going to take over other duties?]_ ”

“ _[Clan lore, among many other duties.]_ ” Viscum agreed, before he pointed to another Pooka. He looked to be about Badru’s age, but you could never tell. “ _[Salix, Aster’s brother. He was the oldest son of the first litter.]_ ” Viscum sighed softly. “ _[Like so many others, he was lost to the war against Pitch Black; A lot of my children were.]_ ” He frowned darkly, looking thoughtful.

“ _[Being the oldest, and being next in line of becoming Clan Leader… traditionally, it allows you access to information, that might be considered restricted otherwise.]_ ” The older Pooka closed his eyes for a moment, looking pained. “ _[Salix was aware of the conspiracy. He did not approve, even as I refrained from supporting. But you know by now what the consequences of that was. Sometimes… Sometimes I wonder if it made him ashamed of me. Of my decisions. Of what everyone else did.]_ ”

 _When we are done, you don't mention this to anyone else._ Badru frowned, reminded of that very conversation. It felt like it had been an eternity ago, rather than only a few years at this point.

Badru had not kept it a secret. He had looked for a way to betray his sire, once he had realized how immoral his actions had been. He had never questioned his actions, but sometimes he wondered...

“ _[Badru?]_ ” Viscum’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“ _[Ah, sorry, I was just… reminded of something.]_ ” The younger Pooka said quickly. “ _[Uhm, what other siblings were there? And, what is Clan lore? My sire… he taught us many things, but I do not know if they were similar to what you might have taught his older sibling.]_ ”

It was a white lie, but the question had its desired effect, distracting Viscum, as he told Badru what he wanted to know. And while he listened attentively, Badru quietly hoped that Pitch was doing alright on his own.

\------------------------------------------

" _[Mathematical Nonagons, I had forgotten how big those things can be.]_ " Lapis muttered, as they approached the tower. The five Pooka, including Woundwart and young Foxfire, had all set off on square-shaped Sentinels, as they had the resistance needed to get through the jungle, and up the path that Foxfire had found, cutting their time down from only an hours travel.

" _[Mm, this one does not look like it was very large,]_ " Woundwart said thoughtfully, as he studied the tower. " _[It looks more like it was a smaller tower, a part of a larger structure perhaps. Can't say for certain, unless there are any clues about it inside.]_ " He snorted softly, and hopped off the Sentinel, motioning for the others to wait before moving towards the tower.

" _[Be careful, Master Woundwart!]_ " Foxfire called, a light tremble in her voice betraying her brave act. " _[We- we don't know what defenses there might be activated!]_ "

" _[Girlie, if that tower, and a Lamadary Tower at that, had any defenses them I'm certain we wouldn't be able to get close. Most of those things, if the people inside didn't want you in with 'em, would have a shield put around it.]_ " Lapis said with a snort, earning him a scathing glare from the young Pooka. At any other time, she would have told him not to call her 'girlie', but she remained silent this time, turning her attention back to their leader as he worked. Woundwart ignored them, moving forward until he was close to the wall. He reached out, carefully placing a paw on the smooth stone, and breathed in deep at the gentle, thrumming sensation that met him.

Oh yes. This was very much a Lamadary Tower, of the finest kind.

Slowly, he began to move in a clockwise direction. He didn't have to go far, however, before he found what was without a doubt the entrance. It looked like a smooth door made of some kind of metal, it's surface covered by familiar patterns depicting the sigil of House Lunanoff. Slowly, he reached out to touch the door, and shivered at the sensation he got when he touched it. There was powerful magic in this door, in this very tower, made to protect it from the journey it had made through space.

But there was no locking mechanism, or a guarding spell on the door, which allowed him to carefully push the door open. It swung open without any noise and Woundwart stood frozen for a long moment, his nose and whiskers twitching as he caught some familiar scents coming from the door.

By now, the other Pookas had caught up to their leader, and watched as Woundwart carefully made his way inside, every muscle in his body tensed as he made his way inside. The room he came into had an overwhelming large appearance, revealing a staircase that lead upward, a series of doors along the now narrower walls, which no doubt lead to other rooms until the stairs reached an opening in a flat ceiling. The familiar scent was much stronger in here, and Woundwart looked around first before he motioned for Lapis and Foxfire to come inside with him, while the remaining two Pooka remained outside.

" _[There are no traps,]_ " he assured them both as they caught up with him. " _[In fact, this tower has already answered a few questions for us as we speak.]_ " He looked up the stairway, but did not make any move towards it.

" _[What kind of questions would those be, milord?]_ " Foxfire asked carefully. Woundwart twitched his ears once, frowning in thought as he sniffed in the scents again, just to be certain.

" _[This is how Badru arrived here. This is his traveling vessel, which is how he got here to our planet.]_ " He finally said slowly, narrowing his eye slowly. There was one scent he was certain about, but the other one; It seemed so familiar, and yet so alien...

" _[And he is not alone.]_ "


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Woundwart returns from the tower, and Badru learns something important when it comes to Pookas and some of their abilities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all, and welcome back to Walkabout. Apologies yet again for the long wait x.x real life continues to bite me in the butt, but I finally got this one out. I hope you all enjoy it!

  _“With all the revelations I overheard at the trial, my mind had locked itself down in shock, leaving me practically paralyzed. I suspect, that had I been healthier in both body and mind, my reaction would have been quite different. Even now, there's a part of me that is in shock over the events and why they happened.”  
  
__“I have no doubt, that had I known the truth when I first became what I am now, I would have been more thorough in my brutal slaughter of the Pookan race. I would have made them suffer the way I had suffered, though someone might point out that I had already achieved these goals, even if I didn't know about the Pookan conspiracy.”_

 

_“And yet there was still so much more to it, as we would all find out soon enough.”_

* * *

The more Badru heard about his sire when he was young, not to mention about Pookan society as a whole, the more a lot of things made a grim sort of sense.

Bunnymund, as Viscum told Badru, had been accepted into the Brotherhood of Light at a young age. The monks were all meant to be warriors, but also solitary. A part of this was to live by a rather brutal warrior code, which was tied to their belief in the First Light. It all had to do with, how there once upon a time had suddenly been creatures with sharp teeth and claws that brutally murdered anything it came across, and the Pooka had been forced to adapt to that.

  
_‘He gave a present to each animal, making each one different from El-ahrairah.’_ Badru thought solemnly. Only in this case, some of the creatures that had been different had also been the first Fearlings, creatures from the Dark between The Stars. And the Pookas who dedicated themselves to fight against this darkness, had simply found it easier to not have any family that they were attached to. As rough as it sounded, lack of caring had sometimes been the better solution, at least during battle. But as time had passed, Viscum explained, empathy turned out to give complications in more ways than one, not just in battle, but also when it came to general survival for the Pooka, who since then had come up with different methods of handling their emotions. Some of it could be handled through meditation and discipline, and other things needed specific herbal remedies.

And that was where the chocolate came in.

“ _[Special chocolate, I should add.]_ ” Viscum told Badru, who nodded with a thoughtful frown as the older Pooka continued. There was a plant, a specially bred example, created by a Pooka named Theobroma. A part of the Brotherhood was dedicated to tending to this plant that he created, and it became an essential part of Pookan culture, not just as a way of showing Pooka's general talent with plants, but also their skills in science and certain kinds of magic, as an offshoot of the plant was created for medicinal purposes, or for military use.

The Monks of the Brotherhood of Light made especially use of this plant. They dedicated themselves solely to their own projects, and to guarding their charge in the form of the First Light. The chocolate aided them, spiking their strength and sometimes magic beyond normal capacity, though not always with predictable results. This, as Viscum explained, had to do with how everything evolved and changed. The plants kept evolving, even the magically created offshoots, and that in return made each batch of special brewed chocolate have different results. 

Eventually, this meant they couldn't use it for medicinal purposes anymore. The combination of the chocolate's abilities, and the Pookan physiology were frankly just too risky, and there were plenty of Pooka who experienced permanent changes as it were.

“ _[You can see plenty of examples in the crowd, at the trial alone.]_ ” Viscum said. “ _[Or it's the case for some of the elderly anyway. It's not a source of shame, mind you!]_ ” He was quick to clarify, at a worried look from Badru. “ _[I mean, Woundwart is a prime example of it going right. But others… well, they carry scars.]_ ”

“ _[In what way?]_ ” Badru asked politely. The older Pooka took a moment to sip his tea, humming in thought.

“ _[Hmm… some of the effects included growing extra arms, or extra legs. And if they took the chocolate enough… well, then the arms wouldn't disappear again. And more often than not, they were more trouble than they were worth, so the extra limbs had to be amputated.]_ ”

Badru frowned, his ears twitching in thought. “ _[You said it could effect medicinally as well. How exactly?]_ ”

“ _[Well, it would depend on the Dam and the Sire.]_ ” The older Pooka replied, “ _[I'm not a Healer, so I don't really understand the technical terms. But if, say, the Sire was… let's call it 'overdosed', and he got his mate pregnant, then any children they had would be affected. Healthwise they would be fine, but their looks might be rather different than expected. In the beginning, there was more than a bit of chaos, because it was believed to be birth defects of some sort; Which was a wrong assumption? But it lead to other things...]_ ” He sighed. “ _[Not that there wasn't an attempt at finding alternative methods, such as other plants to work against the effects. But with the war, and the genocide of the Pookan homeworlds, many of our herbal storage units were lost. What we have left, are cloned examples, or bred with the local plant life of this planet, and as a result, a lot of them are just not as effective as they once were.]_ ” he shook his head. 

The younger Pooka noticed the tone. While he could easily guess what Viscum meant, he also wondered if it was directed at him in some way. 

“ _[There was a time, in my sire's life,]_ ” he said slowly, “ _[where he found himself needing to consume a lot of that special chocolate.]_ ” Viscum's ears twitched, and he looked up from his cup at Badru, his expression curious.

“ _[It changed him,]_ ” Badru continued, “ _[and according to his stories, he did grow extra limbs, though they eventually disappeared. But other changes remained, in his looks as well as his personality.]_ ” He grimaced slightly. _“[The Aster you speak of? He sounds very smart and scholar-like. Calm, and patient and very… stiff.]_ ”

“ _[And the Aster, that you know, is not?]_ ” Viscum asked.

“ _[His fur color is different, for one.]_ ” Badru agreed. “ _[He's a silver grey, with dark markings, not like in the picture you showed me, where he is brown. His fur is more sleek, rather than softened, and his physique is very muscular. And-]_ ” He did something awful. “ _[He has a temper. One that he isn't always good at reigning in.]_ ” He frowned, looking down at his own cup of tea. “ _[And his judgment might have been impaired too. Though I am not entirely sure.]_ ”

Viscum listened patiently, though he frowned at the last part. “ _[And this has affected you, as well as your siblings?]_ ”

“ _[With what you have told me, it's possible.]_ ” Badru replied, getting a sigh from the older Pooka.

“ _[I am certain he had his reasons for the chocolate, at the very least.]_ ” Viscum said, “ _[the brotherhood had very strict discipline about the use of it. It was not something you just used willy-nilly, especially with the consequences.]_ ”

Badru said nothing, feeling uncertain about how to respond to that. In the short time he had gotten to know Viscum, he had quickly decided that he needed to be careful with how he worded some things. At least until he thought about something else. 

“ _[… What about the mates? Were they affected in any way?]_ ” He asked instead. At the gentle, almost sad look he got from Viscum, he almost kicked himself, wondering if that had been too obvious a question.

“ _[Are you asking because of your Dam?]_ ” Viscum asked gently. When Badru didn't respond at once, the older Pooka sighed a bit.

“ _[It again depended on the amount of chocolate.]_ ” He finally said. “ _[The way that it would change the warriors, also meant it would change them in other ways. While kits would be born with what was first assumed to be deformities, the Dams would sometimes- well, it varied, sometimes depending on the personality of the sire.]_ ” He grimaced, “ _[you must understand, your sire was not always calm and collected when he was a kit. Most of it was discipline learned from the Brotherhood of Light, among other things.]_ ” He sighed, “ _[things that are not practiced any longer, because of Axiom.]_ ”

“ _[What would happen to the Does?]_ ” Badru asked carefully, as he poured up more tea for them both.

“ _[We figure now, it all had something to do with some of the herbal remedies that had become part of our society, for different reasons.]_ ” Viscum replied, accepting the cup of tea Badru handed to him. “ _[Anything from ingredients in cooking, to medicine, to incense for meditation. Some of it was used in specific ways during Axiom's time, as commanded by him…]_ ” He grimaced, “ _[there are others who could explain it better than I. I did not pay much attention to it, and while it is no excuse, a large part of it was due to my duties as clan leader and my work with the Golden Army, and of course the work with the council. Not everyone used things the same way, but it was Does who did not use a specific kind of herb in their diets, that were affected the worst when it came to having a Sire, that was affected by the special chocolate.]_ ”

The way Viscum worded it made a part of Badru go cold, as he recalled the last pregnancy that Pitch had gone through, and how the labor had taken a turn for the worse very quickly.

“ _[Something awful happened.]_ ” He finally said, and Viscum nodded with a frown.

“ _[For the most part, it could be avoided.]_ ” He said quietly, “ _[especially if it was discovered in time during the pregnancy. But Pookan pregnancies are fairly quick, as I am certain you know, and sometimes, it would be too late for the Dam. The kits… the kits would survive, but their Dam would not. Sometimes it was due to complications during labor. And other times, the kits would react violently during labor and-]_ ” He stopped, grimacing. “ _[Let's just say, that there were a lot of terrible losses during the war, and after the evacuation, when the worst of the genocides had occured.]_ ”

Badru nodded, though he kept his face neutral. His mind was racing however, as he tried to recall the recipe of the concoction that Bunnymund had used on Pitch back in the day. Had it been related to what Viscum was talking about? It would have made sense if that had been the case, but if it turned out that Bunny had been forced to use alternative herbs, that made the concoction more sensitive? With the way Pitch had reacted after only a few hours away from the Warren... or had that been related to the fertility magic? 

What if he had been responsible for Pitch almost getting killed by childbirth?

* * *

The return trip to the Warren was uneventful. Woundwart didn't really mind, but he could tell that it was bothering Foxfire quite a bit, the younger Pooka looking for all the world like she was longing to tear violently into anything that got in her way.  
_  
Impulsive, tempered young Doe_ , Woundwart thought with a sigh. Perhaps if there had been a few of the Brotherhood left to help teach some of the meditation techniques... but no. They had all been lost in the battle against Pitch Black, and while a lot of their knowledge was preserved in writing, it was not the same as having an actual teacher with the experience behind it.

Ah well, no use in dwelling on that now. The In Absentia trial was no doubt still going, and Woundwart needed to speak with Badru in private once they got back. Or he hoped he would be able to, because as angry as Foxfire was, Woundwart would not be surprised if the impulsive doe were to seek the younger buck out, and violently demand answers to her own questions. 

Like why he had command of a Lunar Lamadary ship.

The Lunar Lamadary, Woundwart thought. When had he last thought about them? As far as he recalled, the last time anyone had heard about the Lamas, it had been sometime during the evacuation of the Tsar family. No one knew where the royal family, or the Lunar Monks had gone off to. And as far as the Pooka were concerned, it was good riddance to bad rubbish, because while the Lunar Lamas had their own warrior caste, they were also extreme pacifists. A trait that had not been seen as too admirable in the years of the war, or the breaking of the Shadow Prison.

Woundwart had personally always found that pacifist trait admirable, but back then, it wasn't something you said out loud. At least not when you were only a lowly officer who was only just starting to make it up through the ranks. 

There were so many questions, but with what few conclusions Woundwart could draw, all he could figure, was that the Lunar Lamas had somehow found their way to wherever E. Aster Bunnymund had set up his Terra project. And while Bunnymund had probably shared the same views as the rest of his brotherhood, he might have allowed the Lamas to live there as refugees. And in return, they might have allowed use of their ship for Badru's walkabout, if they had not been forced to give it up.

And then there had been that very familiar scent in the tower. It had been many years since Woundwart had last been close to this scent, but he would know it just about anywhere.

The question was now why that tower carried the scent of Fearlings within it.

He knew several of the older Pookan warriors had recognized the scent as well, but they kept quiet until their leader decided otherwise. It was probably for the best for now, because until Woundwart got some answers from Badru, he didn't want to jump to any conclusions.

When they reached the Warren, Woundwart could tell that the In Absentia trial was still going on with the less important reports. This suited him just fine, as it would allow him time to go find Badru and talk to him. Knowing Viscum, they were probably back at the old buck's burrow. 

" _[At ease.]_ " He told the remaining warriors, " _[That tower is not going anywhere for the moment, if my suspicions are correct. And we all need to be present for the final act of the trial. I want you all to return to your families for now, and then I will summon you, when I know what we should do next.]_ "

Foxfire gaped at him in shock, as if he had just struck her. The other warriors obeyed at once, setting off towards the seated crowd or their burrows, while Foxfire and Woundwart were the only ones remaining.

" _[That goes for you too, Foxfire.]_ " Woundwart told her sincerely. " _[There are some investigations that only I can do at this moment. Please, do not argue with me, and return to your family.]_ " He gave her a gentle, assuring smile at that. " _[I promise, you will be called back as well.]_ "

While that did not seem to satisfy the young Doe, she finally huffed a sigh. " _[Can I at least alert my mother about what we have found? She is part of the council, she would want to know what is going on.]_ "

Woundwart thought for a moment, but then nodded ." _[You have my permission. She will understand what is going on. Just dont' tell anyone else, and be sure to tell her this as well. We do not want to cause a panic.]_ "

" _[Yes, sir.]_ " Foxfire said, looking slightly relieved before she finally took off, heading towards where her family was.

Woundwart smirked a bit to himself. It was only fair to allow her to tell her mother such things. The tower itself was not the danger in this strange mystery, and she had been the one to find it, so she had earned to right to brag a little. Even if Foxfire, as sincere as she was, would not consider it such.

But now it was time to find Badru, and hopefully get some answers. With that, Woundwart set off towards the burrows.

* * *

_Having a good memory of time, had always been a mixed curse and blessing for the man who had been Kozmotis Pitchiner. It had been a blessing in the beginning, recalling the happy times he spent with his loved ones, and the good memories had in return worked as an effective shield against the Darkness he had been charged to fight against every single day. Of course there were darker memories of the battles he had to fight, which resulted in darker days, but his wife and daughter were the lights in his life, his shield and sword against the darkness._

_All of that had changed with the Orion Massacre._

_He could still remember how numb he had felt at the horror of it all. How the leader of the Dream Pirates they had captured had been wearing that infuriating grin, as it confessed to its crimes and its revelation of his own, very worst fear. Of how it and its kin had driven his wife and child to their deaths, and sweet stars its crooked grin and wicked voice, make it shut up_ **_shut up_ ** **SHUT UP!**  

_He couldn’t even remember having raised his sword. It felt to him as if he had merely blinked, and his mind had switched off for a moment, and then he opened his eyes and found himself in a sea of black corpses, his blade soaked in their blood._

_Among his men, he had gone from the kind Golden General, the Merciful One, to something else entirely. Only few seemed to understand him, people who had lost their own families to the Shadows._

_But oh, the memories began to hurt. What before had been a protective shield had become a weapon turned against him, a wicked barbed knife that seemed to cut in his mind on the mildest days, while on worse days it might as well have been a barbed, thorny whip, lashing against the inner walls of his sanity again and again, until he was curled up and weeping from the agony and sorrow._

_Court was the worst place to be, with people whispering behind his back, or attempting to offer fake comfort. He found himself lashing out at the smallest gesture, seeing it as an attack against him rather than an offer for help. Even Lunanoff became a target, the sight of his pregnant wife almost offensive for the Golden General. (He never lashed out at the Tsarina, and even then it was only because of the memory of his wife. She had been close friends with the Tsarina, after all, and neither she nor her unborn child were responsible for their deaths.)_

_Politics were a farce to him. Socializing became meaningless. All he could think about was to find ways to drown his mind, to shut up all the thoughts in his head from, and the only way he could think of that didn’t involve drugs or alcohol, was to throw himself into the hunts on the Shadows themselves. While the Shadow Prison was being built, he volunteered with an almost bloodthirsty eagerness, and he found a wicked joy in hunting down all the creatures of the Darkness and locking them within the fortress that was the prison._

_But like the flickering light of a candle, the joy was short-lived. The prison seemed as if it had been filled up at once, and its massive doors locked._

_“Someone is needed to guard them,” a voice had said, though he could no longer recall who it had belonged to. “Someone has to keep the doors locked.”_

_He had volunteered. With nothing to hunt, he might as well be the one to guard the Prison. Unlike so many others, he didn’t have any family who would worry about him. The Tsar had asked him if he was certain, because of how far away the prison was from everything._

_“I am certain.” He had replied, before he had given a bitter laugh, “I mean, someone has to do it. It might as well be me.”_

_He hadn’t brought much, he recalled. A couple of books, a couple of weapons like his trusted sword and scythe… and finally, his locket. The only remaining thing he had, to remember his daughter by._

_He often found himself wishing in the following days, that he’d also had a picture of his wife. In all his rage and sorrow, he was starting to forget how she had looked, and the fire had consumed just about everything. Not a single portrait there might have been, had been salvageable. The memory of her scent had been drowned out by the stench of blood and acrid smoke, her eyes blind and white. Had her hair been dark or light, black, brunette or blonde? Had she been fair skinned or tan? It all became so muddled in his head some days, so he ended up focusing entirely on the picture of his baby girl._

_And all the while, the shadows whispered, begging and pleading for mercy some days, growling and threatening on others._

_He wouldn’t deny that there were some darker days, where the thought of opening the door was tempting, of how going down in one last, massive fight was a thought that was alluring. But the vague memory of his family (his light, that seemed to grow dimmer for each day), was the only thing that kept him from it. No one else should suffer the way he already had._

**_“PLEASE Daddy! Please save me! I’m scared!”_ **

* * *

Pitch woke up.

For a moment, he almost choked on his breath, recognizing his surroundings as that of a burrow, and his half-asleep brain instantly imagined him being in an all too familiar dark hole deep underground where he was trapped, where the only light was glowing moss and he could not control his shadows and all there was of company was Bunnymund and-

**_Mine to fuck mine to breed_**

The words echoed in his head like a dreadful mantra, and while Pitch struggled to move  ~~(his whole body felt so heavy)~~ , he didn’t notice someone was there with him, in a bed opposite of his  ~~(Bunnymund had not kept him in a bed, he had simply left him on the mosscovered floor)~~ , and his mind was in such a turmoil that he didn't notice the other occupant slowly sitting up, a greying paw reaching up to tug on a nearby string.

The soft jingle of a bell could be heard, followed by a rushed sound of paws across dirt, before a figure appeared in a nearby doorway.

“ _[Your charge is awake, dear one.]_ ” An old female’s voice sounded, surprising Pitch enough that his groggy mind woke up enough to allow him to actually, properly focus.

A young Pooka female was now by his bedside, and she gently reached over, caressing his forehead. She barely had to touch him to get Pitch to lie down again, all the while murmuring gently to him in words he couldn’t quite understand at first, before she sighed softly as he calmed down.

“ _[There now, your fever has gone down at least.]_ ” She then said gently in Pookan. _“[All the same, you should try and take it easy, poor thing.]_ ” She smiled kindly to him, before she turned and moved over to the other bed, where Pitch could now see an elderly female Pooka, sitting up and watching him with an alert gaze.

“ _[And how are you, granny?]_ ” The younger doe asked, “ _[do you need anything?]_ ”

“ _[Perhaps some tea, child. The green one that you know I like.]_ ” The older doe replied. “ _[For myself, and for your new patient. I think it would do us both good.]_ ”

“ _[Alright, I won't be long. Call me if you need anything else.]_ ” The younger one replied, before she headed off. When she was well out of sight, and possibly out of hearing range, the older doe turned her gaze towards Pitch.

“It has been a long time, General Pitchiner.” She said in Constellation speak.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love giving Pookas plant names. Theobroma as an example is the name for the Cocoa tree o3o I also played a bit with elements from a few fics not written by me (specifically one by Dorksidefiker. Go check her fics ^^).


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